Trip On Love
by kerimack
Summary: (COMPLETE) Sebastian bets Kathryn that she can't get a known player to fall in love with her. When she starts to really fall for the guy what lengths with Sebastian go to get her back? Sebastian's POV. Please R
1. Care To Make a Wager On That?

Trip On Love 

Author: Kerimack 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Cruel Intentions, I just borrow and manipulate them. 

Summary: Sebastian bets Kathryn that she can't get a known player to fall in love with her. When she starts to really fall for the guy what lengths with Sebastian go to get her back? Sebastian's POV. Please R&R 

Rating: R 

Authors Note: This is an alternate universe fic and therefore Annette is not in it. I was just going to update one story at a time but I've gotten good feedback for both Who Are You and Let the Games Begin so maybe I'll continue to update both. I'll update this one as well depending on how well received it is. 

Chapter 1: Care To Make a Wager On That? 

This is a story about love. More importantly this is a story about how that four letter word severely fucked with three peoples lives. It would seem that my story wasn't too different from the countless other love stories that have been told but it is. You see I am not the typical hero. Point of fact the name Sebastian Valmont tends to evoke anger and vows of retaliation for the latest crime I have committed. The funny thing was this never bothered me. I took pride in my reputation even though to most I was right up there with Nicolo Machiavelli, Claudius, Fernando Mondego and James Spader. 

The other people involved in this sordid little love triangle weren't any better as you'll see. We were all severally fucked in out own way and yet we each fell in love. I suppose that's what makes this tale so much more compelling than the rest. We didn't deserve to fall in love but we did and it's one hell of a tale. 

It all began at this party thrown by an old friend of mine... 

At the time everything in my life was perfect or at least seemed that way. It was the beginning of summer and school at my fascist almamater was officially closed. My parents had left the previous week to another exotic location that they didn't bother to invite me to. Of course it wasn't as if I would have agreed to come anyway. I much rather have staid in the city where I could while away the hours binge drinking and getting laid in my parents fabulous upper east side townhouse. 

The only thorn in my side had to do with this party I was more or less being forced to attend. It's not that I don't enjoy a good party, on the contrary. However it was the guest of honor at this particular soiree that I had a problem with. I guess you could say the two of us had a bit of history together. We grew up together in New York and I guess you could call us friends although I prefer the term enemies much more. 

His name was Jackson Maguire and he was in my book the definition of the word asshole. Arrogant, self absorbed and worse of all unoriginal he was the benign of my existence when we were children up until the beginning of high school when he left. I had mistakenly believed it was for good. 

Why were we friends you may wonder? Well by all accounts we shouldn't have been. However our parents were friends and therefor we immediately got stuck together. Jack was two years older than me so he thought that gave he free reign to pick on me. Then as we got older he began to realize how popular and respected I had become among the upper class children, so suddenly he wanted to be buddies. 

Even in junior high school we were competitive. Namely the thing we competed for was girls. You would think because he was older he would have an easier time but in fact it was I who had it easy. The thing was I was much smarter than Jack and I used that intelligence to defeat him many times. 

When I joined him at high school I could tell he thought it would be more of the same. However before we could find out Jack up and decided that he would move to Hollywood to pursue acting. At the time I and most others thought it was ludicrous but as long as we would be moving across the country I was all for it. 

To everyone's surprise Jack actually did become an actor. He joined some hit TV series about cops, then did another one about doctors before staring in a bunch of lame teen films. After a couple of them bombed I had laughed over his failure but didn't really expect it to impact me any. Then out of the blue I get a call from Mr. Movie star telling me he was coming back to the city for the summer. I had pretended to be thrilled at the news when in fact it was my fucking nightmare come true. 

On that particular beautiful summer night Jackson was throwing a welcome home party for himself. I hadn't wanted to go and even though my mother threatened to freeze my bank account if I didn't, I still had no intentions of going. Then I heard from a somewhat dubious source that my current infatuation would be attending so I knew I had to go. Fuck Jackson Maguire. 

Her name was Guinevere Carteris and she was a goddess. During fashion week I had attended a few shows if only to check out the merchandise on display and by merchandise I don't mean the clothes. It was there I spotted her up on the runway during a Marc Jacobs show. She was stunning with long blond hair, legs that went on forever and one of those perfect faces that no amount of botox can give you. To top it off the girl looked twenty four but was only sixteen. Needless to say I had done my research. 

Since laying eyes on her I had been trying to find the perfect opportunity to make my move. I attended a few of the same parties as her but never had the time to properly introduce myself. Now, for whatever reason, she was attending Jackson's party. I knew as soon as my old friend saw her he would be after her as well. His reputation much like my own had only grown in the past three years. Still I was determined to get to her before him. 

When I arrived in front of Jack's parents park avenue townhouse I got the feeling they weren't home that evening based on the guy out front who tried to sell me some weed. I politely told him to fuck off then went inside. To my surprise the party looked more sophisticated then I would have thought. Everyone was dressed in their finest cocktail attire and there were waiters circling with trays off food and champagne. 

I grabbed a glass and casually sipped it as I scoured the room for my pray. Unfortunately I didn't spot her right away but I did see Jackson talking with someone across the room. I'll tell you I have the worse fucking luck. 

When I noticed him walking away from the guy I quickly made my way into the other room hoping to avoid him. As I did I practically ran into Blaine Tuttle. "Hey watch the Armani assh...hey Valmont!" 

"Tuttle" I replied in a low voice. "Keep it down." 

He looked past me and must have spotted Jackson because he gave me that annoying knowing smirk of his. "Don't worry he went into the other room." 

I glanced over my shoulder and saw that he was indeed gone. It wasn't that I didn't trust Blaine it was that I REALLY didn't trust him. However I didn't have many real friends (pretty much at my own choosing) but Blaine was probably one of the few I could tolerate. Don't get me wrong me was completely amoral and underhanded but he could be counted on from time to time to help me out so long as his interests didn't run too contrary to my own. 

Blaine laughed at the look of relief that washed over my face "do you really think you'll be able to run from him all night?" 

"I'm certainly going to try to. You haven't happened to see-" 

"Right over there" he gestured towards the living room. I turned and saw Guinevere talking with some dufus in a knock off Prada suit. Blaine clucked his tongue at this "you better get in there before he takes off with your soon to be conquest." 

Finishing my drink I nodded "where are you off to?" 

Already making his way up the long staircase with a muscular blond guy in tow Blaine called out to me "I have some uncharted territory to cover myself." 

Shaking my head at him I grabbed another drink and then took my time approaching my prey. Decked out in a body hugging white dress, with her long hair flowing down her back Guinevere was everything I remembered her to be. She even had that allusive aloof quality about her that I found so appealing. She was almost untouchable. Almost. 

The loser she was trying to escape didn't seem to get that though. He was I suppose marginally attractive though I'd probably have to get Blaine's professional opinion on that. Whoever he was, was blocking her against the wall and leaning into her in such a way that he could look down her dress as he spoke. Moving closer I overheard him tell her "I saw that layout you did for French Vogue. It was so hot." 

"Thanks" she said coldly but the guy didn't seem to be getting the hint. 

"Your boyfriend must be going out of his mind with jealousy. Always wondering who you're with and what you are doing." 

She sighed "I don't have a boyfriend." 

The guy brightened at this "oh? Well that's good for me then. Maybe you and I could go somewhere a little more...intimate." 

I decided this was the perfect time to make my entrance. Coming up behind them I replied "hey guy your boyfriend was looking for you." 

The guy turned around angry "what? I'm not a fag, I don't have a boyfriend." 

"Well not according to that guy in black over there" I pointed to some random guy talking on a cell phone in the other room. "He was telling everyone about how you two hooked up last weekend at this club." 

His face twisted in anger as he yelled "that son of a bitch is dead!" 

Immediately he went charging after the helpless guy and as we watched Guinevere laughed. "Is that really true?" 

I shrugged giving her a smirk "who knows? But anyone who admits to reading French Vogue has obviously got some homosexual issues." 

She continued to laugh "well thank you for the save. He was so annoying. I'm Guinevere by the way." 

"I know. I'm Sebastian Valmont." 

She gave me a seductively coy smile as she responded "I know." Then with a slight tilt to her head she walked off onto the balcony and I waited a minute before following her out. 

Coming up behind her I let my finger tips gently caress her bare skin. When I felt her shiver underneath me I grinned and asked "so how is it you know me? Something tells me I would recall meeting you." 

Turning around she explained "my roommate Tasha told me all about you. She also said I should watch my back and that you're trouble." 

"Hmm Tasha? I don't recall her." 

She nodded "yeah she said you probably wouldn't. Hey is it true what you did to that girl Claire?"  


I smiled at the memory and at the look of curiosity that was written all over Guinevere's face. Like I suspected she was interested. Girls always like guys who are trouble. Leaning into her I whispered in her ear "maybe." 

"Maybe I should keep my distance then." 

"What if I told you I came here tonight only to see you?" 

Her pretty blue eyes went wide in amazement "really?" When I nodded she asked skeptically "you're telling me you weren't the tiniest bit interested in meeting Jackson Maguire?" 

Immediately I scowled at her "not at all. I can't stand the miserable prick." 

When I turned and walked over to the balcony I felt her come up beside me suddenly. "Wait a minute, you mean you know him?" 

"Unfortunately." 

Guinevere might me a model but she was still a teenage girl and I could tell her whole body was shaking in excitement at the idea of meeting such a big celebrity. Touching my arm she asked "how do you know him?" 

"We grew up together" I explained not bothering to hide the boredom in my voice. 

"Well why don't you like him?" 

I figured the truth was too boring for her and I wanted to get laid so I fed her a story. Holding my hand over my eyes as if I was trying not to cry I launched into my tale. "A few years ago I was seeing this girl who I was totally in love with. Jackson was my best friend at the time and he had this awful rep but I still trusted him. Then one day I found them together...you know in bed. He knew I was in love with her but he stole her away from me because he was jealous! Well after that I vowed never to fall in love again which is why I have such an awful reputation." 

"Oh my god" Guinevere said wrapping an arm around me. "That's terrible, I can't believe he would do something like that to you." 

"Yeah it's pretty unbelievable" I agreed trying to hold in my laughter. The girl might be gorgeous but she was an idiot. 

As we embraced I slowly broke away from her and used the intimate moment to kiss her. She didn't back down and in fact practically shoved her tongue down my throat. Then just when it was getting interesting she pulled away giggling "Tasha was right you are a good kisser." 

"Thank you." 

She looked back at the party and then to me with her coy smile "my agent is making me stay here for at least a few hours but maybe later we can..." 

I nodded "tell you what, how about at midnight I meet you upstairs in the third bedroom on the right?" 

"All right" she told me as she leaned in to give me one last kiss. "I'll be waiting." 

As she broke away she started to walk back inside giving me a sexy look over her shoulder before rejoining the crowd. When she was gone I leaned back against the railing on the balcony and lit a cigarette all the while laughing at how easy that was. 

"God damn Valmont what is it with you and blondes?" 

At the sound of my name coming from that familiar voice I grinned and slowly turned. There she was, the only person who could both infuriate and fascinate me all in the same breath. Stunning to look at, exciting to be near, and as cold as ice. She was a women full of contradictions and that is probably why I never got tired of her though I would sooner die than admit it. 

Kathryn Merteuil stepped out of the shadows wearing a dangerously low cut red dress and a smile to match. With that silky dark hair framing her pretty face I marveled at her beauty. She might not be as gorgeous as Guinevere but she was most definitely a lot more interesting. Not to mention she had more intelligence in her finger tip than the young model had in her whole body. 

When she was standing in front of me I reached out and caressed her dark locks. Giving an answer to the rhetorical question she posed I told her "well I have been known to make an exception now and then, for the right girl of course." 

"Too bad the right girl was never interested" she laughed as she breezed past me. 

And that is why I had never gotten further with her than a peck on the cheek. I had known Kathryn since she moved to New York three years ago. Upon meeting her I had thought her to be just another insipid debutante who would easily flop on her back at my command. To say I was mistaken would be an understatement. Kathryn might have appeared to be sweet and innocent but she was far from it. She saw my act coming from a mile away and quickly let me known it wasn't ever going to happen. 

However that didn't keep her from flirting with me whenever the need suited her. It was true I'd give my left nut to get her in bed and I always got the feeling she wouldn't mind but she knew the power she had by holding sex over my head. It was probably best that I didn't get involved with her anyway. Kathryn wasn't like normal girls, to put it bluntly the girl was down right dangerous. If I crossed her god knows what she was liable to do. Plus, even though I had never admitted it out loud, I was secretly worried that if we did go to bed I might not want to get rid of her like I did all my other conquests. Kathryn might be amazing but I had no need for a girlfriend. 

Coming up beside her I asked "what are you doing here anyway? I thought you'd be whoring around the south of France this summer." 

She sighed "that was the plan but then mother decided she must stay in the city over the summer and I must stay with her for whatever reason." 

"Why, is she planning on breaking up another family?" I scowled and Kathryn rolled her eyes in response. When we were in tenth grade Tiffani Merteuil had an affair with my father who was still married to my mother. My mother never found out about it but Kathryn and I did. Eventually my father dropped the bitch and went back to my mother but I never forgot the way he treated her. Needless to say it was a soar spot for Kathryn and me. 

"New topic" she said suddenly. "I see you're chasing jail bait now." 

I smiled "she's sixteen." 

"In how many years? I overheard that little performance you gave. I didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to fall for such bullshit but apparently I was proven wrong." 

"Oh is it so hard to believe that I could have fallen in love?" 

Kathryn laughed "oh please I known you Sebastian and you don't give in to all that hearts and flowers crap, thank god! Though I am curious about something, do you really know our guest of honor tonight." 

I nodded glumly "yeah that part was true. We grew up together and I thought I finally got rid of the bastard..." 

"Ooh such hostility" 

"The guys a prick all right?" I studied her green eyes a moment but as usual they were unreadable. "Don't tell me you're into the guy as well." 

Kathryn rolled her eyes "I don't think so. I suppose he's attractive in a bland sort of way. However I prefer a guy who has an attention span longer than the time it takes to unzip his pants. I suppose that's why I never fucked you." 

"Wow Kat I never knew you had such standards. I always just assumed you got down on all fours for whomever bought you dinner." 

She gave me a phony smile "well as interesting as this has been I'm going to leave you to chase after your anorexic giraffe while I go find some real entertainment. By the way don't ever call me Kat." 

As I watched her rejoin the party I shifted in my pants uncomfortably. She might be a bitch but she was hot and for some reason our little conversations always left me wanting to throw her down on a bed and screw her senseless. Shaking my head at the thought I too went back inside hoping to just pass the time until I could go meet my goddess upstairs. However as soon as I walked off of the balcony I was blind sided "Sebastian there you are! I've been looking for you all night." 

I muttered a curse under my breath before turning around to find Jackson who was grinning. In three years not much had changed about him. He was still handsome with her dark hair and eyes but now he was taller with broader shoulders and a tan. Before I could reply he grabbed her and gave me a hug "it's good to see you man." 

"Yeah same here" I muttered pulling away. "How have you been?" 

He shrugged "can't complain. I mean I still have offers pouring in left and right, my agents are always calling me. I've got a new film coming out this summer, I have two pilots this fall so I'm doing fantastic." 

I nodded along like I gave a shit. "That's great, so what are you doing back in New York?" 

"Well my parents have been on my case about visiting and their were a couple of directors here I thought I should meet. Anyway I'm really glad I came home. I missed this place and I forgot how great the pussy is here." 

"Uh huh" 

Leaning into me he asked with a conspirator smile "so how about you? Banging anyone interesting lately?" 

Just then Guinevere walked by and smiled at us. "You could say that" I told him waving at her. 

Jack leered at her "not bad Valmont. God to known your taste hasn't diminished any." 

"How about you?" 

"Well I've had my eye of that gorgeous creature all night" he said gesturing across the room. "The girl in red." 

"Oh Christ" I muttered when I realized it was Kathryn. 

Noting my reaction he asked "what are you two..." 

"No we aren't" I replied "but I'll save you the energy and tell you, you're not her type." 

The truth of the matter was even though I wasn't involved with Kathryn I sure as hell didn't want Jackson involved with her. In fact I would have been happy if they never had anything to do with one another but judging by the way he was looking at her that didn't appear to be in the cards. 

"Why not is she a lesbo or something?" 

"No she's about as straight as they come I just don't think she'll be interested." 

He chuckled "they're all interested. You obviously know her, what's her name?" 

I hesitated telling him but then it occurred to me he might try to go after my young model friend. I was in no mood for competition that night besides Kathryn could handle herself. "Her name is Kathryn Merteuil." Jackson nodded and started over towards her. "Oh by the way she loves to be called Kat." 

The moron grinned at me confidently before heading off. As I watched him approach Kathryn I laughed "fucking idiot." 

* * * * * * 

Just as it was nearing midnight the party started to thin out as the guests started to make their exits. I had spent the majority of the evening trying to ditch Jackson while keeping an eye of Guinevere. I was pretty successful until I lost track of my soon to be conquest right as a majority of the guests were leaving. Still I was quite confident she would be there waiting for me. 

Five after twelve I made my way up the stairs and hesitated before entering. Finally I opened the door to find that I had been right, Guinevere was there. She was there all right riding Jackson like there was no tomorrow. Her breasts bounced as she clutched his chest and moaned. When her eyes opened mid gallop she breathed "Sebastian." 

Turning his head Jack gave me a lazy smile "hey man I hope you don't mind but I couldn't resist." 

I wanted to scream at him, tell me what a supreme asshole I thought he was but instead I coldly replied "no problem." Without another word I left the room slamming the door behind me. I stormed down the hall and went into the closest open room which was Jackson's fathers study. As soon as I was inside I grabbed a nearby vase and chucked it across the room screaming "mother fucker! I'm going to kill you for this!" 

The vase crashed into a mirror and shattered it but I didn't care. How much more bad luck could I possibly have? Pushing the pieces of glass away with my foot I went behind the bar and found a bottle of bourbon that apparently was a wedding gift to the Maguires. With a cold smile I opened the bottle and poured myself a large glass even though I didn't like bourbon. Let Jack explain to mommy and daddy why their prized liquor is gone. Holding the glass up I toasted to no one in particular "cheers." 

I took a seat on one of the leather couches and lit up a cigarette. Smoking and drinking the nasty bourbon I began to think of all the different ways to torture Jackson. Maybe tell the tabloids he's really gay? Spread it around that he has crabs? The ideas were endless but in the end it didn't seem enough. I wanted to destroy the guy or at the very least see him pathetic and miserable. 

My thoughts of revenge were interrupted when the study door suddenly opened and Kathryn came sauntering in. She didn't realize I was even in the room as she made her way over to the desk and pulled something from her clutch. It took me a moment to realize it was that crucifix that she always carried around. I knew Kathryn wasn't religious in the slightest so I never got why she had it until I watched her unscrew the bottom and pull out a coke spoon. Tossing her hair aside I watched as she brought it to her nose and took a bump. There was something so graceful and almost proud in the way she did it that for whatever reason still made her appear attractive to me. 

Still I couldn't resist startling her and seeing her cold veneer vanish if only for a moment. "Well apparently the eighties are back in fashion." 

At the sound of my voice she jumped and looked over at me her eyes wide in surprise. "Oh it's only you" she said relaxing. 

"I think I should be insulted by that." 

Walking over to me she asked "what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be boning little miss runway right about now?" 

Taking a sip of my bourbon I replied miserably "yes well Guinevere is boning someone else at the moment." 

"Wait a minute, her name is Guinevere?" 

"Yes" I told her and she immediately burst out laughing. "It's not funny." 

Curbing her laughter she asked "I take it, it was you then who trashed the room?" 

I nodded "she met me just as planned but unfortunately I wasn't the first one there. When I opened the door I found her fucking Jackson."  
  
Kathryn snickered as she reached for the bourbon "oops. So I guess that makes him Lancelot in this little fairy tale, huh?" 

"That's cute" I grumbled pulling the liquor back. "The son of a bitch did this on purpose. Whenever I have something he doesn't he has this sick twisted need to take it away. He's been doing it ever since we were kids." 

She shrugged "maybe he likes her." 

"No" I spat. "He was interested in you." 

"Oh yeah he hit on me with some lame line. I politely told him to go fuck himself. I can't believe you're worried about having to compete with that loser over the summer. He's likely to burn himself out before the fourth of July." Letting her head fall back against the leather seat she groaned "god this summer is going to be so boring. I should have just gone to France like planned."  
  
As she rattled on about the summer my thoughts remained on Jackson. "You mean to tell me you really aren't impressed with him?" 

"What is there an echo?" she grumbled "No, like I told you Lancelot is just another guy. Sure he might be fun in bed for about a minute but it would only be a matter of time before I'd have him eating out of the palm of my hand just like all the rest." 

"That's what you think." 

Her green eyes looked at me pointedly "that's what I know. Any man can be trained even Jackson. Give me a week and I could have him totally in love with me." 

It was then I got my grand plan. Listening to Kathryn I realized a way that I could keep Jackson away from my conquests and possibly get a reward as well. Leaning forward in my seat I grinned and asked "care to make a wager on that?" 

I knew her answer as soon as I saw that devious look appear in her eyes. Shifting in her chair she leaned closer to me until our faces were inches apart "what did you have in mind?" 

"You think you can make Jack fall in love with you in a week, I want to see you prove it. Only I'll be kind and give you the rest of the summer to do so." 

Kathryn laughed "you can't be serious. Valmont I'll have him confessing his undying love to me as soon as we hit the sheets." 

I nodded "I'm sure you would but here's the catch. Jackson has to tell me, his closest friend and rival, that he's in love with you. Now seeing as the guy has never had a steady girlfriend for more than a week and has always been an opponent of love this should prove to be quite a challenge for you." 

When I saw the flicker of hesitation cross over her face I knew I was right. Rising from her seat Kathryn started to pace then turned to me with a grin "what are we wagering?" 

"What do you want?" 

Almost right away she responded "your journal." 

I should have known that's what she'd go for. Ever since she found out about my journal where I kept a record of my conquests Kathryn had seemed fascinated by it. I told her I would never let her read it, namely because I did have things in there about her that I rather she not know. However since I had no intention of losing our little bet I agreed "okay if he falls in love with you I'll give you my journal. Now what do I want..." 

She rolled her eyes "I shudder to think." 

I leered at her standing before me in her sexy red dress and realized this was a golden opportunity to have my ultimate fantasy realized. Taking Kathryn by the hand I pulled her into my lap "I think you know what I want." 

Wrapping her arms around my neck she whispered "how very unoriginal of you Valmont." 

"Well what can I say the prospect of you riding me at a gallop just does it for me. Now to clarify if Jackson doesn't tell me he loves you by labor day weekend I get you in my bed for one whole night." 

"Fine" she sighed "but you are going to loose." 

Shaking my head at her I laughed because I had no intention of losing this bet. I knew Jackson a whole lot better than Kathryn and I knew hell would sooner freeze over before he admitted loving anyone. Still I also knew she would keep him busy so I would have no problem landing the girls of my choosing all summer until I got the ultimate girl in the end. 

Reaching out I took Kathryn's hand and shook it. "You got yourself a bet bitch." 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	2. We Will Divide and Conquer

Trip On Love 

Summary: Kathryn and Sebastian go on a double date with Jackson and his girlfriend. As usual it doesn't end well. 

Chapter 2: We Will Divide and Conquer 

I was having the best dream. It was one of those dreams where everything is just so real that you're telling yourself that it just has to be real. In it I was standing out on a dock overlooking the Hudson river. Besides me was Jackson who was bragging to me about all the women he had conquered, my women. I was trying to tune him out until he told me "but Kathryn had to be the best. Too bad you'll never get the chance to find out!" 

He then started to laugh so hard he was clutching his stomach. I glared at him in utter hatred until I finally had enough, so I pushed him into the murky water below. With a cold, malicious smile I watched as the loser struggled to stay above water. Splashing around like a wet dog he begged "Sebastian please! You know I can't swim!" 

However I just stood on the dock laughing while he drowned. As I stood there he kept calling out my name "Sebastian! Sebastian! God dammit Sebastian!" Somehow the voice calling out to me started to change into a decidedly female tone. I could also feel someone hitting me across the face and it was then I realized it was all a dream. 

Groggily I opened my eyes to see Kathryn kneeling besides me dressed in a back suit and white camisole. Her face was twisted in annoyance as she demanded "wake the fuck up." 

She went to hit me again but my reflexes were fast even when I was only half conscience. Grabbing her wrist I yelled hoarsely at her "what the hell is your problem? I'm trying to sleep." 

Pulling her hand from my grasp she spat back "it's one o'clock in the afternoon Valmont." 

"So? I went to bed at five and I'm tired so fuck off!" I rolled over on my side away from her. 

"Sebastian" she yelled as she started shaking me. "Sebastian!" 

Even though she was irritating me to no end I continued to ignore her. I was exhausted and wanted to go back to my dream of killing Jackson. Kathryn finally got the hint and sighed laying down beside me on the bed. 

However try as I might I couldn't go back to sleep knowing she was right next to me. As I heard her light up a cigarette I began to wonder what she was doing in my bed on a Sunday afternoon. Against my better judgment I muttered "what the fuck are you doing here anyway?" 

"I came to get information on your buddy Jackson." 

"Why?" 

"Well if I'm going to win our bet I'm going to need all the information on him I can get." 

I let out a groan of disgust "then go pick up a People magazine or something. That should tell you everything you need to know." 

"I don't give a shit what his favorite food is or how much he's getting paid for his latest movie. I need the dirt, the dirt that only you can provide." 

Rolling back over onto my other side I looked up at her and asked "why would I give you any information? I want you to loose remember." 

Giving me one of her devilish smiles she retorted "yes but you want me to keep Jack busy don't you? After all if I don't he might start steeling even more of your women. Don't you think I know the real reason you made this bet?" 

Sliding my hand to her abdomen I began to gradually move my hand up until it was resting on her firm breast. "Well it wasn't the only reason I made it." 

"No shit" she scoffed. "Now get your hand off my tit." 

"Why? After I win this bet I plan on becoming very well aquatinted with your tits." Rubbing my thumb against her quickly stiffening nipple I leaned forward and whispered in her ear "besides I think your enjoying it." 

Pushing me away she volleyed back "Sebastian I've managed to avoid going to bed with you in the three years I've known you. I don't see that changing anytime soon." Kathryn then began to straddle my lap as she winked at me "no matter how delicious it would be." 

I couldn't help but smile as I watched her above me. Of there was no way in hell I was going to loose this bet. However I played along with her questioning "so what do you want to know?" 

"Well let's start with why has this guy never had a relationship last longer than a week." 

"Because he's an arrogant prick." I shrugged "how the hell should I know? Maybe he has mother issues." 

"No, Valmont I believe that's your particular problem." 

When she laughed triumphantly at her put down I scowled then tossed her off my lap and got off the bed. It was really too fucking early to be dealing with her. "Look I think he had a thing for this girl awhile back but it didn't work out." 

"Hmm, that's a little better. What went wrong?" 

Before I could answer her my phone went off and I reached for it. "Hello?" 

"Hey Sebastian it's Jackson." 

Frowning I looked at Kathryn as I said "oh hey Jack. What's going on?" 

Sitting up suddenly alert she whispered "speaker phone." 

I did as she asked and soon Jackson's voice wafted into the room "well I just wanted to apologize for what happened at my party last night. I know you were into Gwendolyn-" 

"Guinevere" I corrected him through clenched teeth as Kathryn giggled. 

"Yeah, well I knew you wanted her but I was just really out of it last night. I never should have nailed her." He laughed "to tell you the truth she wasn't even that good." At this revelation Kathryn burst out laughing and Jackson asked "is someone there?" 

"Just this slut I hooked up with last night. I've been trying to get rid of her all morning but she doesn't seem to know when to get a hint." 

When I said this Kathryn gave me a sarcastic smile and chucked a pillow at me, which I caught. Completely oblivious to what was going on Jack continued "I totally understand. Is she hot?" 

"She thinks she is." 

"Well when you're done with her send her my way." 

I laughed looking her over "oh I plan to." 

"So anyway, since I was such an ass last night I've decided to make it up to you by taking you to dinner. Actually on my new yacht I just bought." 

Rolling my eyes I told him "yeah I don't know if I can..." 

"Well I'm bringing my girlfriend Charlotte along." 

Kathryn's eyes' went wide as she mouthed "girlfriend?" 

I shrugged at her then asked him "you're seeing someone?" 

"Well sort of. We've been sort of off and on for a year. It's nothing that serious. You're welcome to bring someone if you want." 

I was going to once again decline when I got a sudden jolt of inspiration. Grinning over at Kathryn I replied "well you know that actually sounds like fun Jack. Count me in." 

"Good, so who are you bringing?" 

"Kathryn Merteuil." 

As soon as I said it Kathryn began shaking her head furiously and mouthing "no!" 

Jackson however chuckled at this "oh yeah the goddess in the red dress. She was hot but a total bitch." 

"Yeah that about sums it up" I agreed laughing along. "You don't mind if I bring her do you?" 

"No not at all, like I said she's hot but I thought you weren't into her?" 

I walked back over to the bed and sat behind a pissed off Kathryn. Sliding my hands around her waist I kissed her neck and called out to him "oh trust me I'm not. She's really more like a sister to me." 

There was a pause on the line before he asked "then you wouldn't care if I fucked her?" 

When Kathryn pushed me away from her I glanced at her coldly as I replied "no not at all." 

"Very good, then I'll see you guys tonight at around eight thirty?"  


"Sounds great. Bye Jack" 

After he hung up Kathryn turned to me and screamed "why the hell did you do that?" 

"Oh relax, I'm doing you a favor." 

"Like hell, you just want to nail his girlfriend!" 

I smiled as I leaned back on my bed folding my arms behind my head. The truth of the matter was that was exactly why I had agreed to go. It was time for a little pay back and fucking what's her name, while Kathryn kept Jackson busy was just the way to do it. "The thought did cross my mind" I confessed. "I don't really see why you're angry. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get close to the guy." 

Leaning over me she hissed "I don't want to go out with you to do it. If people find out about this my reputation will plummet." 

Rolling my eyes I replied "Kathryn I've seen some of the guys you fuck and trust me I would be a big improvement." 

"Others wouldn't think so." 

"Oh like who? Your slut mother?" 

Kathryn sighed and looked off as she admitted "no, actually mother's quite fond of you. For reasons that totally escape me." 

"Me too" I muttered. "Look no one will find out about this. Jackson thinks we're like brother and sister anyway." 

Letting out a deep sigh as she fell back against the bed she said "all right you win." 

"Ooh I like the sound of that." 

"Don't get use to it." Her scowl changed into a smirk as she asked "so what's your plan?" 

"It's quite simple actually. We will divide and conquer." 

****** 

  
At around eight that evening I arrived at the Merteuil townhouse. Like their name suggested, the Merteuil's were from old money. To my knowledge Tiffani Merteuil didn't work unless you count luncheons and sleeping with married men a career. However the family had billions as evidence by there extravagant home. 

When I got off the elevator that led me to the second floor where Kathryn's bedroom was located, I was surprised when I ran into my fathers ex-whore. As the doors opened there was Tiffani perfectly coifed as ever, holding a Louis Vuitton carry on bag. She smiled pleasantly at me "oh hello Sebastian. What are you doing here?" 

Glaring at her coldly I walked past her and replied "I'm here to pick up Kathryn." 

"I didn't know you were seeing Kathryn" she exclaimed a hint of excitement in her voice. 

"I'm not" I explained not bothering to face her. "We're just having dinner with a friend." 

"Well have fun!" 

I paid no attention to her as I strut past the sitting room down the hallway to Kathryn's room. All the while I was boiling over in anger at how pleasant the women was being to me. Everyone knew she was a bitch so why was she trying to be nice and why was the idea of me seeing Kathryn so appealing to her? Shaking my head I told myself I didn't care and I wasn't about to be nice to the women who nearly destroyed my family. 

Walking over to Kathryn's room I opened the door just in time to get a quick peak of her naked. She was zipping up her dress and apparently decided to go with out undergarments that night because I got just a small glance at almost everything. I don't know why but it left me sort of dazed and speechless. Glancing over at me she grumbled "god don't you knock?" 

"I didn't know you were changing" 

"Like that would have stopped you." She looked over at me and noticed that I was still staring at her. With a smile she asked "what's the matter Valmont, never seen a naked girl before?" 

"Please" I huffed. 

"Poor boy's probably never seen real breasts before." 

Rolling my eyes I sneered "are you almost ready?" 

"Give me a second" 

As she walked into the bathroom I took a seat on her alcove bed and glanced around her luscious blue room. It occurred to me this was really the first time I had a good look at it. I had been to parties at the Merteuil home but never really looked in her room. With it's dark blue walls and crystal mirrors it looked like how I imagined Kathryn's room to be. The perfect room for an ice princess. 

Leaning back on her bed, wondering how many men had laid there before me, I called out to her "I ran into mommy dearest on my way in. Is she going somewhere?" 

"Yes, she's off to Florence for the rest of the summer. Thank god!" 

I nodded "she seemed so pleased to see me. Why is that?" 

"How should I know?" she asked coming back into the room. "I shudder to think how the women's mind works. Are you ready to go now?" 

I hadn't heard the last part of what she'd said because my attention had drifted to the pair of hand cuffs resting by the bed. Picking them up I grinned at her "on second thought maybe we should stay in for the night." 

Grabbing them from me she tossed the cuffs aside and replied "let's go." 

****** 

"I'm so happy you could come tonight Kathryn" Jackson smoothly told her later that evening. 

We had been there was nearly a half an hour and the guys eyes hadn't left Kathryn all night. I was pretty sure this hadn't gone unnoticed my the lovely Charlotte who consequently frowned at this. With her long red hair and curvy body it wasn't hard to tell what Jackson found so attractive about her. However unlike Kathryn her breasts were definitely fake. 

The four of us were sitting around the dinner table on the top deck of Jacks' yacht. We had just finished eating the first course of the meal. I was sitting between the two lovely ladies which was a plus for me because whenever I got sick of listening to Jack I would leer at one of them. Still as amusing as that was, I was anxious to get on with the game plan. 

"So Charlotte what do you do?" Kathryn asked. 

Tossing her long hair back the beauty declared "I'm an actress." 

"Oh, what have I seen you in?" It sounded like a question but I knew coming from Kathryn it was more of a challenge. 

Charlotte shrugged "well I've done some plays and commercials. I had a part in that film Night Heat." 

"Never heard of it" Kathryn replied coldly. 

"Well actually Char's got a lot of projects coming up." Taking his girlfriend hand he explained proudly "she's an amazing actress and is going to be huge some day." 

Charlotte smiled as she leaned in and kissed him affectionately. It was then I began to wonder if Jackson actually cared for the girl. I hoped he did because the victory would be that much more sweeter. 

Kathryn grimaced at the happy couple then looked at me and whispered "now." 

I nodded then turned away "hey Charlotte, do you have the time?" 

As she turned back to face me I 'accidentally' knocked the glass of red wine off the table and all over her white dress. "Oh my god" she exclaimed rising to her feet." 

I got up as well "oh shit! I'm so sorry!" 

She forced a smile to her face "it-it's okay. It looks like you got some on you too." 

I looked down at my black pants and noticed the wet splotches. "Fuck" I muttered. 

"Hey there's probably some dry clothes down below" Jackson offered. "Why don't you two go change while Kathryn and I exchange our life stories." 

Judging by the hesitant look Charlotte gave him I could tell she wasn't comfortable with leaving her boyfriend alone with a beautiful girl. However she said nothing and simply nodded "okay." 

I followed her down below into the bedroom. As we stepped inside I closed the door and locked it discreetly while eyeing my prey. "I'm really sorry about this Charlotte" I told her once again. 

"It's all right" she said as she began rummaging around the closet for clothes. "So what's the deal with you and that Kathryn girl? Are you two together?" 

"No, not at all. She's like my sister." 

Turning back around she slid up close to me and smiled "but you want to be right?" Laughing at her own cleverness as she suddenly started unbuttoning my pants she explained "I saw the way you were looking at her. It most certainly wasn't brotherly." 

I was more than a little surprised at how forward Charlotte was being and even more so as how perceptive she was. "You got me" I admitted. "However I'll tell you a secret: I like you more." 

She smiled knowingly before turning around and unzipping her dress. "I have a boyfriend" 

"All the beautiful girls seem to." 

"You know Jackson told me all about you. He said you are very charming and good with women." Sliding her dress off she said "it's good to see he didn't exaggerate." 

This time I walked up to her and quickly pulled her to me, kissing her hard on the mouth. Charlotte returned it but then pulled away suddenly "we shouldn't. Jackson's right upstairs." 

"Shh" I whispered. "What he doesn't know..." She jumped me before I could even finish the sentence. 

****** 

As it happened Charlotte was more than willing to hop into bed with me. However after all the fun and games she suddenly seemed to grow a conscience. "Oh god I can't believe we did that" she sighed as she started to get dressed. 

"What the big deal? I got the feeling you and Jackson weren't exactly monogamous."  


She stopped dressing all of a sudden and looked over at me suddenly "did he tell you that?" 

I shrugged "he said you guys were sort of on and off." 

"We've been seeing each other exclusively for a year!" 

Oops. Jackson forgot to mention it was only an open relationship to him. Looking over at Charlottes fallen face I told her comfortingly "I probably just miss understood. I mean it's obvious that you two are very committed to each other." 

Yeah so committed you fucked me as soon as the chance allowed it. "We better get back to them before they notice something's up." 

I finished buttoning my shirt as I followed her out the door. As we made our way up the stairs to the top deck we were greeted by the sight of Kathryn sitting on Jackson's lap as they made out passionately. "Oh my god" Charlotte whispered. "What the HELL are you doing?!"  


They broke apart suddenly at the sound of her voice. Jackson looked guilty as hell but Kathryn just smiled triumphantly. "Charlotte we were just..." 

"Save it!" She spat "I know you've been cheating on me but it ends now!" 

Suddenly she charged off the boat and Jack quickly moved Kathryn off his lap so he could chase after his girlfriend. Once alone, Kathryn took the bottle on wine and drank from it as she stretched out "well that was almost too easy. Judging by that look of horror on poor Charlottes face at her boyfriends infidelity, I take it you didn't score with her." 

"On the contrary" I sighed sitting beside her. "Charlotte is just a hypocrite. I'm rather surprised you didn't hear her screaming." 

"Jackson was too busy with me" 

"I noticed" 

"Yes you did didn't you" Leaning closer to me she smiled "you look positively...jealous." 

"You wish" I scoffed taking the wine bottle from her. The thing that bothered me was that I WAS bothered at seeing Jackson with his hands all over Kathryn. Normally the women I lost to him were of little consequence to me. I never cared about them but I did care for Kathryn. There was no way I would let him have her. 

Turning to her suddenly I told her adamantly "you're not going to win this bet." 

"We'll see." 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	3. What, Like A Date?

Trip On Love 

Summary: A horrible birthday gift leads Sebastian on the path to what he's always wanted. 

Authors Note: I know I haven't updated my stories as frequently lately but that should change next week. When classes end I'll have about a month before they start up again. Hopefully in that time I'll finish Trip On Love, Who Are You and The Tribunal. Please keep reading and reviewing! 

Chapter 3: What, Like A Date? 

You would think for his only son's eighteenth birthday the man would come up with a fabulous gift. A trip to France, a sizable raise in the trust fund or a boat of some kind, any of these would do. Then again most men aren't Edward Valmont. 

"Tickets to the Opera?" I spat looking down at two pieces of heavy paper still wrapped in their crisp white envelop. 

Completely unaware of my obvious disgust at the gift the old man smiled pleasantly and informed me "yes and believe me they weren't easy to come by. This is the last show of the season and everyone is going." 

"Oh I can think of one person who isn't." Shaking my head in amazement, not at the gift but the fact that the man truly was this much of an idiot. True my father and I had never been close before but you would think he'd know his own son well enough to know that a night at the opera wasn't exactly on his to do list. I mean this was my birthday for crying out loud, I wanted something spectacular not this bullshit. 

Tossing the tickets disinterestedly down at my bed side table I crossed my arms to my chest and glared at him with obvious disapproval. My fathers eyes went dark as he finally caught on that the gift wasn't exactly wanted. With a sigh and a tired roll of his eyes he said "I see, you don't like the opera." 

I shook my head "what the hell made you think I did?" 

"Well your mother mentioned-" 

At that I sat up suddenly alert "no she didn't. Mom knows I hate that shit and she would never force such an experience on me." Eyeing him suspiciously I demanded "what are you up to?" 

"Up to?" he huffed all indignant as if he was the injured party. "Here I am trying to give my only son a sincere gift. Tell me something Sebastian, do you really think so little of me that you believe that even giving you a birthday gift is some sort of angle?" 

"Yes" I admitted quickly and it was the truth. Years of experience had taught me that my father never does anything, even giving horrible gifts without some sort of alternative motive. Usually I prided myself on knowing what he was after right away but I have to admit this time I was stumped. "What's the real reason for the gift?" 

Shaking his head he grumbled "how could you think-" 

"If you don't tell me I'm going to mom and telling her all about this. I'm sure she'd have a few questions herself" I smiled knowing I trumped him. 

My father's dark blue eyes narrowed at me as he sighed in defeat "okay fine smart ass here's the thing, I need you to go in my place tonight. And whatever you do you can't tell your mother about any of this." 

Immediately I started to feel nauseous because I knew then what he was really trying to hide. Yet again my father couldn't keep it in his pants and was screwing around behind my mothers back. It was the only explanation for him not wanting her to know about it. Getting up from my bed suddenly I grabbed my robe and stormed out onto my balcony. I stared out at the busy street below and desperately wished in that moment that I could be down there, among the crowd, away from my scum bag father. 

As I knew he would my father followed me out. This time he didn't act indignant but stated simply "I promised Jackie that I'd meet her tonight but your mother thinks I'm going to the opera with a business associate. I need someone in my seats in case one of her gossipy friends tells her it's empty." 

My eyes closed as I tried to contain the need to vomit at how casual he discussed cheating on my mother. Not bothering to hide my disgust I asked coldly "when they see me in your place won't they know you skipped out?" 

"No necessarily" he explained almost chipperly. "If they see you they'll just think we came together. If anyone asks I'm sitting up in the Catalons box. No one can see it from the floor." 

Turing to face him suddenly I smiled nastily at him and said "well thanks for the great birthday gift dad but I don't think I'm going to be able to go, I have plans." 

Crossing his arms he looked at me skeptically and asked "oh and what are those?" 

"Anything that doesn't include me helping you hurt my mother." 

Taking a careful step towards me he advised "and if you don't agree to go tonight you will be the one responsible for hurting your mother." 

"Excuse me!" 

"Keep your voice down" he whispered. "Look Sebastian you of all people should know a man has certain needs..."  


"Oh spare me" I spat. "I don't give a shit about you 'needs' and I sure as hell am not going to let you blackmail me into helping YOU hurt your wife. No fucking way!" 

I started to storm back into my room when my father grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back. "Sebastian you are going to the opera tonight because if you don't not only will you possibly hurt your mother but I might be forced to do something drastic." 

"Like what?" 

"Like that military school in Main the headmasters dying for me to send you to." I don't know why I was surprised he would threaten such a thing but I was. It was nastier move than normal for him. When he saw the look of defeat wash over my face he asked "do we have an understanding?" 

Yanking out of his grasp I snarled "yeah, whatever." 

I went back to my room with my father following behind, now as happy as could be that his little affair was cover up for the time being. "Well have a nice time son and happy birthday" he said as he left with a spring in his step. 

As I watched him leave I couldn't help but feel a weird sense of deja veu. A few years ago it seemed I was having the same type of discussion with my father over one of his infidelities. It had been after Kathryn and I walked in on him and her mother in bed together. Fearful that I would go straight to my mother with what I saw, on the way home that afternoon he threatened me with spending the whole summer at my aunts if I said anything. Scowling at the memory I cursed myself for keeping silent. I should have told her and then they could end this farce of a marriage. 

Knowing I couldn't change the past and I had absolutely had no intention of going to military school any time soon I realized I was going to have to go along with my fathers ridiculous plan. The only question now was, who should I bring as my date? 

****** 

The answer to that question was surprisingly simple. Going through my list of possibly choices I realized my options were incredibly limited seeing as I pissed off most of my recent conquests to the point of making a date nearly impossibly. In the end there was only one person possible, even if we had a pending wager between us. 

When I arrived at Kathryn's the maid tactfully told me Ms. Merteuil was still in bed. Judging my the redness in her cheeks that appeared and they way she avoided my eyes I could that Kathryn was probably not alone. Looking down at my watch I saw it was nearing one, which was pretty early for sex unless of course said partner stayed the night. Knowing it was unlikely she got Jackson in bed this early in the game I wondered who the lovely Kathryn's latest conquest was. 

I went to her room and let my ear rest against the heavy wood. "Ahh...ahh...ahh..." came Kathryn's enthusiastic grunts. "All...most.." 

"THERE" she yelled as I swung open the door just in time to see Kathryn and the rather burly man she was fucking fall to the floor in a messy heap. With an annoyed sigh her head spun around and she looked like she was going to start screaming at whoever was interrupting her but when she saw it was me her scowl turned into a mischievous grin. "Hello Sebastian" she purred. 

Leaning against the doorway I crossed my arms casually and asked "I'm not interrupting anything am I?" 

The dark haired muscular guy who I didn't recognize pulled himself up from Kathryn and hollered "actually asshole you-" 

"We were just finishing up" Kathryn interrupted him as she wrapped her sheet around her naked form, allowing me only a momentary blissful glance at her supple breasts. 

Her latest conquest looked like he was going to protest as he glanced back at her with an expression of hurt and confusion. However one look at Kathryn's ice cold stare and he quickly go the hint. Throwing his pants on he grumbled "yeah I was just leaving." He quickly but clumsily dressed then pushed past me calling out "later Kathryn." 

Still on the floor she sighed "not likely." 

I walked over and casually sat down of the bed beside her. "It's a little early for such fun and games isn't it Kathryn?" 

She shrugged, amused "not if you've been at it all night. Besides I love morning sex." 

Taking her by the hands I helped her to her feet laughing "I'll make sure to make a note of that. What are you doing with that guy anyway? What if Jackson walked in instead of me?" 

Kathryn rolled her eyes as she slid her black kimono back on. "I don't think that will be a problem" she sighed. "I haven't heard from him since our little boat trip last week." 

"Oh?" 

"Yes apparently he's more hung up on that Charlene girl than we thought" 

"Charlotte" I corrected her. "And you better hope he's not. If Jack doesn't fall for you, HARD, then you're mine." 

Her green eyes locked on mine as she replied "I know believe me. I'm just going to give him a little time before I make my next move. Now what are you doing here anyway?" 

With a sigh I reached into my coat pocket and produced the tickets my father gave me earlier that evening. I handed them to her and as she pulled them out her eyes went wide "wow, how'd you get these?" 

"It's my fathers deceitful idea of a birthday gift." 

Glancing at me she asked "today's your birthday? Had I known I would have given you a gift..or not" she admitted with a wicked smile. "Why is it deceitful, I'd kill for tickets like this." 

Finally some good news today, although I found it incredibly surprising. "You like opera?" 

"Love it and this show has been sold out for weeks" 

"You are just full of surprises Merteuil. Well today's your lucky day because you're going with me." 

Kathryn turned to me and spat "what like a date? I don't think so, I told you I can't have people thinking you and I are together in any sort of vicinity. It would kill my reputation if people thought I was another one of your insipid conquests." 

"Look it's not a date but I have to go to this thing even though I detest opera with every fiber of my being" I grumbled as I got up from the bed. "It's last minute so I don't have time to find anyone else." 

"Well gee when you put it like that...no" she hissed tossing the tickets aside. "Anyway why do you HAVE to go. Just tell your father you don't want the tickets." 

"It's not as simple as all that" I admitted. "The truth is my father is blackmailing me into going so he can once again screw around behind my mothers back." 

"Classy" 

"You have no idea" I muttered. Looking back at her with pleading eyes I asked with as much sincerity as I could muster "Kathryn will you please just go with me. If you don't I'll have to ask Jennifer or Bambi or some else I can't stand which will only make the evening more horrible." 

Kathryn tilted her head back in thought and sighed "I'll think about it." 

I knew that was her way of saying I'll put you off for as long as humanly possible until it's absolutely necessary that I have to give you an answer. Likely that answer would turn out to be a no just so she could torture me that much further. Rolling my eyes I stormed back to the bed and pulled her face close to mine. "You're going to the damn opera with me otherwise I'll tell Jackson all about spring break when you-" 

"You're blackmailing me for a date?" 

"Looks that way doesn't it?" 

Yanking her face from my grip she hissed "okay fine. Pick me up at seven." 

Standing over her I grinned triumphantly for the first time that morning. "It's a date."  


****** 

"I would have much rather sat in a box Valmont." 

As the two of us took are seats in the middle of the row, sandwiched between a fifty year old women and a sixty year old man I let out an exasperated sigh. "Well next time my father blackmails me I'll put in a request for better seats, okay? Jesus are you going to bitch all night?" 

"Possibly" she smiled. "And quit your whining, do you have any idea how many guys would kill to be in your position tonight?" 

"Not as many as I'm sure already have" I shot back. 

We sat in silence for the next few minutes as the orchestra tuned up. Thinking back to earlier that day I realized it truly had been a shitty birthday. Barely any gifts outside of my fathers, I was unable to coarse Guienevere into coming over and to top it off I spent a better part of my day trying to dodge Jackson's phone calls. He kept leaving these long messages on my machine saying he needed to talk to me and that he was all upset over Charlotte. However I didn't give a damn about his so called problems. 

The only highlight of my day thus far had been seeing Kathryn descend the foyer stairs in her sexy low cut black dress. She looked elegant and perfect, just as I hoped. I hadn't told her how amazing she looked, fearing some sort of bitchy retort but thinking back maybe I should have. 

"Kathryn you.." When she looked back at me for whatever reason I couldn't get the words out so instead I asked "what's with the interest in opera." 

She shrugged as she stared up at the stage "my father use to take me when I was little." 

"Oh and what happened to him? Don't tell me, he found mommy in bed with the pool boy and ditched her right?" 

Kathryn's face fell as she looked away and muttered softly "he died." 

For some reason this surprised me although it did make a certain kind of sense. In all the time I'd known her Kathryn had never talked about her father, not that I ever cared to ask. Still it gave me a weird sort of insight into the girl. It certainly explained her hatred of men. Letting my hand slid across the armrest I reached out and touched her hand "sorry Kathryn, I didn't-" 

"It's not a big deal" she sighed, "it was a long time ago." 

I nodded "well at least your father's not around to make your life miserable, like mine." 

"Well thank god for small favors" she smirked. 

I smiled at her when I looked past her at the older guy seated beside her. He was openly ogling her breasts even though his date was sitting next to him. Leaning over her I said "hey perv, if you don't stop leering at my girls tits I'm going to pull your eyes out of their goddamn sockets, got it?" 

The man sputtered and coughed in embarrassed surprise before turning around and averting his eyes from the both of us. Kathryn laughed at this "aren't you full of surprises this evening Sebastian, defending my honor and all that. Tell me what would you have done if he continued to stare down my dress." 

"Then I would have gladly took him outside and kicked his ass in" I explain confidently. 

She gave me a bemused smile as her fingers lightly caressed my hand. "Keep talk like that and I might want you to win this little bet of ours after all." 

My smile crumbled as she mentioned this. I didn't want to think about Jackson right now, I especially didn't want to think about the possibility of him being the one Kathryn was smiling at seductively and caressing. "Let's not talk about the bet tonight, all right?" 

"Fine by me" she shrugged as the theater lights started to dim and the crowd fell hushed. 

As I sat back in my seat my eyes weren't on the stage but rather Kathryn who's face seemed to light up and her whole body tense in anticipation. I found this new found side of her very appealing, she wasn't the nasty bitch who could only spew put down's and come on's. She looked like a little girl, almost innocent. For whatever reason she never seemed more appealing to me as she did in that moment. 

****** 

"So how'd you like it?" Kathryn asked as we locked arms and stepped into the burgundy hallway of the theater. 

Truthfully I found the whole experience as dull as any other time I went to the opera and spent most of the time observing my date. Still I lied and said "I found it very stimulating." 

She gave out a light throaty laugh at this "ever the bullshit artist Valmont. You looked like you were trying to stay awake the whole time. Admit it you were bored shitless."  


"Okay fine" I spat. "I've had root canal's that were a more pleasant experience than that." 

"And you call yourself an intellectual..." 

"Fine, fine tease all you want but..." Before I could get the thought out I looked past Kathryn and noticed a familiar blond standing only a few feet away. "Oh fuck" 

Her eyes went wide in alarm "what is it?" 

"Amber Tyler" I sighed "I slept with her last week and I've been avoiding her calls ever since. Shit we need to get out of here before she..." 

Amber's bright blue eyes suddenly looked in my direction causing her to exclaim "Sebastian!" 

With an amused smile Kathryn whispered "I think we've been spotted. Maybe we should go say hello." 

Before she could start over to Amber I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the elevators that led to the upstairs bar area. Luckily the door opened just in time for us to get in. However they wouldn't close and as I looked up I saw Amber coming towards us. "Come on, come on" I groaned hitting the close button. When Kathryn only laughed I snarled at her "this isn't funny." 

"Oh just relax Sebastian." Just as I was about to inform her that she wasn't helping any she took me by the back on the head and drew my lips down for a kiss. Her mouth was so soft and warm that I completely forgot about Amber and let go of the button. The elevator doors closed a moment later but we were still entangled in the kiss. My arms wrapped tightly around her waist pulling her towards me as her mouth opened slightly. 

Then just as quickly as it happened it stopped. Kathryn pulled away from me with a small smile, leaving me to simply gape at her. Touching my mouth I asked "what was that?" 

"Something tells me what's her name won't be following us up here now" she informed me as her tongue brushed over her lips. "Consider that your birthday gift Valmont." 

When the elevator doors opened Kathryn walked off first leaving me to stand stupefied in the elevator. Turning her head back she grinned at me, "come of Sebastian buy me a drink." 

As I watched her head to the bar I sighed "what the hell?" 

It was then I started to think that perhaps this birthday wouldn't suck after all. I had just gotten kissed by the one girl that had managed to hold my attention for longer than five minutes and the night wasn't over yet. Who knows maybe I'd get an advance on my winnings? 

With that thought I headed after Kathryn who was already making herself comfortable at the bar. However before I could join her I was stopped in my tracks by a familiar voice, "Sebastian there you are!" 

No it wasn't Amber but to my disgust and horror it was Jackson. I grumbled a curse under my breath before turning around. As I did I saw my so called friend make his way towards me in not the most graceful of ways. In fact he practically fell into me as he approached. "Bastian, I've been looking all over for you" he slurred. 

Taking a quick look around the room to make sure no one was witnessing this little scene I said "hey Jack, you're drunk." 

"No, not really" 

"Right" I sighed wishing to god I could just join Kathryn and pretend I never saw the prick. "What are you doing here?" 

"Your maid, your maid told me...you were here. Man I need your help with Charlotte." 

I rolled my eyes at this as I silently chuckled inside about how pathetic the once great Jackson Maguire was. Before I could make some cutting comment at him however Kathryn appeared from behind wearing a very phony concerned face. "What's going on? Oh Jackson what's wrong?" 

He smiled at her "hey Kat, wow you look pretty." 

"Thank you" 

I scowled "Jack was just leaving. Buddy why don't you go home and sleep it off. Call me in the morning and we'll talk about Charlotte then." 

Putting her arm around the unstable asshole Kathryn said "Sebastian you can't let him drive home by himself, not in this condition." 

"Why not?" I asked coldly. 

Her eyes narrowed at me tauntingly "he's obviously hurting and what kind of friend would you be if you didn't help him?" 

I knew she was doing this purposely, not only to get closer to Jackson but also to rub my nose in it. I wanted to tell her to forget about it, no way would I lend a hand to help him but I didn't namely because I knew she would just leave anyway and in doing so she would have the victory of knowing she got to me. Instead I helped Jack to his feat and grumbled "lets go." 

****** 

It was that night I got my big idea, the loop hole that would keep Kathryn from winning the bet...or so I thought. Following our non-date I drove Jackson to his empty townhouse and Kathryn insisted on coming along even though I insisted I drop her at home. Then some how when we got there she was the one who took Jackson upstairs to bed and I was left to wonder just what the hell they were doing. The whole car ride home the two of them sat in the back talking quietly, about what I couldn't be sure. All I knew was that I had to put a stop to whatever Kathryn had in mind. 

As I was sipping my second scotch of the evening Kathryn at last came down stairs with a small grin on her face. She crawled onto the couch opposite me and said casually "you're still here?" 

"So are you I noticed." 

"I promised Jackson I'd stay until he wakes up" she explained as she played with the strand of pears around her neck. "Feel free to leave if you like, we'll probably be busy later." 

I finished off my drink and slammed it down on the glass table. Kathryn jumped but in the end her smile only widened. "You really think that's all it takes huh? Just a quick roll in the hay and he'll fall in love with you?" 

She shrugged "it's been known to happen. Look at you, one kiss from me and you're practically salivating." 

"Don't flatter yourself sweetheart, it's long forgotten and I promise you if you nail Jackson it won't be any different." 

Kathryn's smile fell and she seemed to realize the truth in the statement. Sitting up on the couch she told me "well then I'll just wait a little while." 

I laughed at her "come on admit it Kathryn sex is the only weapon you got. The only chance he'll ever fall for you is if flop on your back and spread those supple thighs of yours." 

"Don't be crude" 

At that I laughed even harder "that's amusing coming from you. Okay you think it will be so easy to tame Jackson, how about this? You have to make him fall in love with you WITHOUT sex." 

Kathryn's green eyes went wide in alarm as she suddenly got to her feet. "Are you serious?" 

"Completely" I told her pouring myself another drink. "Of course if you aren't up for the challenge..." 

When I saw the momentary look of apprehension flash through her eyes I knew then my idea was perfect. Now not only would Jackson never fuck her but she would likely loose the bet as well. From my point of view it was a win win situation. 

At first I thought she wouldn't go along with it but after a minute she looked up at me, eyes blazing in determination, and said "I'm always up for the challenge." 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	4. Checkmate Baby

Trip On Love 

Summary: Sebastian goes to great lengths to stop Kathryn from winning the bet but all his effort might do him no good when an unexpected problem arises. 

Authors Note: This was suppose to be done yesterday. Stupid blackout. Anyway I'm hoping to post the next chapter of Who Are You next. I only have about six more chapters left of that story but I just don't feel inspired to finish it but I will. 

Chapter 4: Checkmate Baby 

"You're going where?" 

"You heard me" came her smug response. 

I pulled the phone away from my ear and placed my hand over the receiver then proceeded to let out a loud "FUCK!" I couldn't very well do that into the phone even though at this moment I would have very much liked to. No if I showed that kind of emotion I would be playing into her hands and I couldn't allow that. So with a deep breath I put the phone back to my ear and asked "so what's the plan exactly?" 

"No plan" she replied breezily. "Jackson asked me to spend the weekend with him down at the cape and I agreed." 

She explains this as if she was telling me she's going to get a manicure. Of course I know she's not nearly so flippant and is probably sitting on the other end of the line with a malevolent smile on her face. _Checkmate loser_. 

I knew when the phone rang early this morning I shouldn't have picked up. It's never good news when it rings this early. I know this and yet I picked up only to hear Kathryn and her absurd travel plans. 

I want not to care and yet I do. Our recent amendment to our wager has me on high alert seeing as I know the odds of Kathryn keeping her legs closed while she was on his little holiday were slim to none. Still I wouldn't allow myself to get agitated over this because I knew that was precisely what she was after. Kathryn wanted me to scream, yell, demand that she stay but I wouldn't do it. Instead I inquired in a somewhat bored tone "won't that be a little difficult seeing as you've taken a vow of celibacy where Jackson is concerned?" 

"Perhaps" she answered "but I might have a way around your little obstacle." 

"Like what?" 

Kathryn let out a soft mischievous laugh "oh nothing you should concern yourself with Valmont. Just rest assured that I will follow our agreement to the letter and I WILL make Jackson fall completely in love with me." 

This time it was I who scoffed. "We'll see about that. Make no mistake when you return on Monday I'll get a full report from Jack and if you did indeed break our deal and fuck him I'll know about it. Then baby you will be forced to foresight the game and I win." 

"Who said I was coming back on Monday?" 

"Well you said-" 

"I said we were going away, you just assumed for the weekend. No actually we're going away for the next two weeks." 

Unable to help myself I exclaimed "two weeks! You honestly think you are going to be able to put him off for TWO weeks?" 

There was that amused little chuckle of hers again. "I guess we'll see won't we? Now don't get your panties in a twist Valmont, isn't this what you wanted?" 

"Come again?" 

"To have Jackson out of your hair and away from your conquests" she reminded me. 

It was true, that's how this whole mess started to begin with. With Jack away I could have my pick of the East Coast lovelies but at the moment all I could think about was that he was going away with the only conquest who mattered. I wanted to make up some sort of excuse for her not to go but at the moment I was drawing a blank. 

When I didn't give her an answer to her question Kathryn sighed, "look I have to get going. He's picking me up in an hour and I'm still not dressed. I'll talk to you when I get back and if you're a good boy...maybe I'll bring you back a souvenir." 

Before I could ask her what she meant by that I was met with a dial tone. With a frustrated yell I slammed the phone back into the receiver causing the sleeping beauty beside me to rise. "Hmm, something wrong?" she murmured. 

I gave her a quick glance of disinterest wondering why I had allowed her to sleep over in the first place. Perhaps it was the bag of grass we smoked that made my judgment a little fuzzy or that she had been especially charming last night. Either way I was sick of looking at her and wanted her out of my bed. 

Getting to my feet, not bothering to cover my naked form I ordered "do me a favor and leave by the time I get out of the shower." She picked her head up off my pillow and regarded me with disgust. Narrowing my eyes I asked "did I stutter?" 

With an annoyed sigh she rolled over and grumbled "fine, whatever." 

Something told me based of the events of the previous night that she was enough of a pro to know how the game worked. She'd be gone by the time I came back. 

As soon as I was in the bathroom I turned on the shower along with the T.V. beside the mirror sink. I was going to check what the weather was like thinking maybe I'd take my boat out as a way to get my mind of the wager but as I was flipping something else caught my attention. It was one of the those teen films that was being rebroadcast on cable. Now normally those types of movies hold little interest for me but this one did because it featured in a small roll a familiar red head. 

The scowl I had been wearing since Kathryn's call suddenly melted into a deviant grin as I watched my one time bed mate and Jackson's former love Charlotte on screen. Just last week poor Jack could barely get out of bed he was so depressed about losing her. I wondered if he was really over her yet. I intended to find out. 

Checkmate baby. 

****** 

Seeing as Charlotte was no longer in New York I went to the next logical step and got on a plane to California. My parents were once again off on yet another vacation so I didn't have to worry about creating an excuse, not that it would really be necessary. I could fly to Hawaii come back married to an sea captain named Bart and they still wouldn't bat an eye. 

If it seemed I might have been putting a little too much effort into winning this bet I suppose you're right but I just couldn't risk losing because I wouldn't just be loosing to Kathryn, I'd be loosing to Jackson. He could have any other girl in New York but not Kathryn. She was mine and refused to share her with that asshole. 

It was with this new sense of determination I hunted down Charlotte at the abandoned building that she was filming at. Ironically it was Jackson who helped me find her. Before leaving New York I called up one of his current agents and told her that Jack desperately needed to talk to her so could they please tell me where I could find her. A few minutes later she called back with the info on where she was currently shooting. 

I actually expected to be flanked by security and bodyguards but when I pulled my rental car (a silver Porsche) up to the vacant looking building I had no problem getting in. On the contrary when I entered no one seemed to notice me so I hung back waiting to spot Charlotte. It took me a moment to realize she wasn't filming a movie or a commercial but was getting photographed with...a giant bottle of motor oil. 

My usual cold demeanor vanished as I snickered in amusement. Apparently without Jackson's influence her career was going down the toilet. This was only good news because I figured now Charlotte would be more than willing to help me break up her ex and his new girlfriend. 

After at last spotting Charlotte sitting a few feet away in a makeup chair I approached her. She didn't see me at first seeing as she was far too busy pouting in the mirror. "So this is Hollywood? I'm not really seeing why you and Jackson find it so appealing." 

Her eyes went suddenly alert at my presence but she didn't look necessarily pleased. Tightening the white fluffy robe that was wrapped loosely around her she asked "what are you doing here?" 

I placed my hands of the back on her chair and leaned into her with a seductive smile. "Why, I'm here to see you of course." 

Charlotte looked up at me in the mirror and then turned around suddenly getting to her feat. Looking around briefly she hissed "look you can just go back to Jackson and tell him I'm not interested. No matter how many flowers he sends me or stuffed bears, there's no way I'm taking him back. Not this time, not ever." 

"Stuffed bears?" I repeated incredulously. "No Jackson didn't send me with flowers and trinkets, in fact he didn't send me at all." 

"Oh" she muttered looking to the ground. I realized then that she probably still had a thing for him which didn't surprise me all that much. Charlotte wasn't the first girl I had seen get hung up on Jackson yet I was hoping she'd agree to my plan. I didn't hold up much hope when her next question was "then what do you want?" 

I guess it wasn't so much the question as the nasty tone she used and the look on her face as she asked. Trying to remain pleasant I took her by the shoulders and led her back to her seat. Standing in front of her I explained calmly and professionally "I came with a proposition for you." 

"Proposition?" she repeated skeptically. "Look if this is about that night on the boat when we...you know...messed around I'm rather just forget about it if it's all the same to you." 

_Yeah that's what I'm after from you,_ I thought rolling my eyes. Dumb bitch actually thought was going after Jackson's sloppy seconds. No fucking way. "Don't flatter yourself baby it has nothing to do with that night. Well at least not what happened between us anyway." 

From a distance a booming voice was calling her name. With a tired sigh Charlotte got to her feet and told me with forced politeness "right, well as nice as it's been to see you again Sebastian, I have to get back to work." 

I waited a beat until she walked away before I called out to her "how would you like to get back at him?" 

Slowly she turned back to me and in that instant I knew her answer. The sadness that had been evident in her emerald eyes suddenly vanished and was replaced with curiosity. Still she was cautious as she walked back to me and in a hushed voice asked "what makes you think I would be interested in that?" 

"Gee I don't know, perhaps because he cheated on you and left you to humiliate yourself doing print ads for motor oil."  


"Hey I get all my jobs on my own, I don't need to sleep my way to the top" she exclaimed. However after a minute of me staring her down she sighed and admitted glumly "well not all of them but I'm not sure I would want to hurt Jackson. I mean we went through a lot together and I do still care for him." 

I nodded understandingly then lowered the boom, "well I thought you'd like to know he's seeing someone else again. You remember my friend Kathryn?" 

Moving away from me suddenly her eyes flashed in anger and her body went rigid as she hissed "Kathryn? That girl he was cheating on me with? He's DATING her?!" 

A few of the crew members turned to stare at her and the makeup girl who was heading back over turned away when she caught wind of Charlotte's booming voice. Leaning back against the table I smiled "he took her down to his parents house on the cape for the rest of the month. Apparently they are getting serious." 

"That son of a bitch" she muttered as she slowly sat back down in her folding chair. Charlotte sat deep in thought for awhile and for a moment I thought she might have forgotten I was there until at last she looked up at me and asked "why are you so interested in this?" 

"It's complicated" 

"You like her don't you? This Kathryn girl is the reason you want to hurt Jackson." 

Looking away I admitted "there are many reasons actually." 

"Such as?" she prodded. 

"None of your business" I snapped. "Now I'm leaving tomorrow so I have to know now are you in or are you out?" 

Charlotte got to her feet then and seemed to take in her surroundings with a look that was part dread, part hesitation. I honestly wasn't sure what she was going to say. I even began to get nervous that she would tell me to go to hell and then turn around and call Jack to tell him what I was up to. 

Luckily I didn't have to worry about such a scenario because a moment later she tossed off her robe and turned to me with a decidedly confident grin and asked "when do we leave?" 

****** 

The setting couldn't have been more perfect. Central Park in the middle of a sunny July afternoon, surrounded by all of upper crust Manhattan gathered for the annual Warton house charity fashion show. Situated between the seventy second street entrance and the reservoir were two large white tents and a runway down the middle. One tent housed the liquor and ordervs the other the city's favorite debutantes who would be modeling the latest designer fashions in a few minutes. Among them was one such Kathryn Merteuil. 

Two days earlier she arrived back home but I had yet to speak with either her or Jackson. I had been waiting until today so I could make my grand entrance with Charlotte on my arm. In theory it would blind side Jack and show Kathryn that I would stop at nothing to secure my winnings. 

Sure enough when we arrived there was a soft murmur of voices who took notice and a few of the photographers stopped to take our picture. I took little mind to them though and concentrated on hunting down our target. As she threw smiles at the shutter bugs Charlotte mouthed to me "do you see him?" 

Fixing the designer shades on my face I scanned the crowd of well groomed guests looking for Jackson. I spotted him standing by the tent the girls were changing in. When I noticed him staring at us with an atypical hard expression I whispered to my date "he's at your left. Don't look." 

Charlotte let out an impatient sigh but judging by the way her hand was shaking I could tell she was more than a little nervous. "Calm down" I whispered in her ear before planting a gentle kiss on her forehead "just be cool." 

"Right" she replied none to convincingly. "He's on his way over hear." 

"Good and when he gets here don't say anything just make yourself scarce." 

She opened her mouth to respond but then firmly shut it when Jackson strode up to us with a deceiving smile. Just as he stopped in front of me Charlotte told me "I'm going to get a drink." 

I smiled at her pleasantly as she passed and then turned to my so called friend all chipper like. "Hey Jack, I didn't know you were back all ready. I thought you and Kathryn were staying at the cape for the rest of the summer?" 

"No my parents needed the place" he answered coolly. "Sebastian what the hell are you doing? Are you seeing Charlotte now?" 

Glancing over at the redhead who was now talking up a senator and his wife over at the bar I continued to smile as if I didn't have a care in the world. "No not really we just ran into each other a few days ago and she asked me to this. I didn't think it would be a big deal since you two are over and everything. You don't mind do you Jack?" 

Flinching in surprise he looked down at the ground and then back at me trying his best to form a smile. "No, um no I don't mind. I'm definitely over her...it's just a surprise is all." He was so full of shit and I knew it. The pussy couldn't even look me in the eye which was both pleasing and a little disturbing for I now knew he really did still care for Charlotte. However something else occurred to me that I hadn't thought of before. If Jackson was capable of falling for Charlotte then it was more than possible he could and would fall in love with Kathryn. 

Because of this I was a little hesitant about asking my next question but I didn't really see any alternative. I had to know. "So how was your vacation with Kathryn? Frankly I'm surprised you made it back in one piece." 

Jackson smiled "it was...it was fantastic. Kathryn is amazing, more so than I ever thought. I mean she seemed like such a bitch at first but there's more to her. She's so different from any other girl I've been with." 

I was smiling pleasantly at him but on the inside I was laughing. This loser didn't known Kathryn, he didn't have a clue. He was just falling for the same act she gave all her other former boyfriends and conquests. Jackson couldn't imagine what the real Kathryn was like...then he told me "I mean she's so sexy and smart, witty. The funny thing is no one around here knows what she's really like, they all think she's some kind of angel but man..." he leaned closer to me and laughed "she's so bad! The things she says...and the way she kisses, damn she gets me so worked up. I think I'll go crazy." 

Somewhere between witty and she gets me so worked up my smile began to crumble as I listened to my exact description of Kathryn. In fact the Kathryn Jackson seemed to know and the girl I knew appeared to be one in the same but that was impossible. I was the only one who truly knew her, right? 

"So you guys are serious?" 

Jackson stared off as if in a daze "yeah I guess you could say that. I don't know everything was great except..." 

"What?" 

"Well we haven't fucked yet, I mean no blow job, no oral, nothing which is strange. I mean after that night on the boat I was sure she was into it and most of the time it seems like she wants to but it never happens. You guys seem pretty tight, has she told you what's up?" 

"Maybe she's just not ready yet" I replied flatly. 

Before he could press the issue a middle aged society women I recognized as Mrs. Warton was standing at the front of the stage, microphone in hand, trying to get everyone's attention so they could start the show. I followed Jackson over to his table in front and Charlotte soon followed, handing me a glass of champagne and taking a seat beside me. I noticed Jackson glance over at us and frown before turning his attention back to the stage. 

Following a quick thank you to the contributors of the benefit, loud but non offending techno much began to blare out of nearby speakers signaling the first girl to strut down the runway. Ten to fifteen girls followed, all pretty and appealing in their own way, some of them I had even fucked before but none of them held my interest for more than a second. As usual Kathryn kept us waiting but in the end it was worth it. 

As one of the last girls out Kathryn came strutting down the cat walk in a flowing, strapless white dress that accentuated her curves but made her appear delicate and lady like at the same time. Unlike the other girls Kathryn's movements were far more confident than any eighteen year old had the right to be. She smiled gamely with a hint of a seductive smirk underneath. Yes she looked oh so in control until she got to the end and just as she was turning around her eye caught mine...and then she noticed Charlotte who now had an arm draped protectively over my shoulder. In that half second her smile fell and I saw that brief look of fury. Then as quickly as it appeared it disappeared as she finished her walk up the runway. 

"I wonder if she noticed?" Charlotte whispered in my ear. 

Smirking I leaned down and kissed her hand before whispering "something tells me she did." I glanced over at Jackson who was busy talking to one of the photographers and told her "I'm going to go backstage and say a hello, why don't you go get reacquainted with our boy." 

Getting up from my seat I slipped between the crowded tables and then back inside the white tent which was being over run by half dressed girls. Now normally this was my dream situation but I was on a mission and for once by short attention span was being put on hold. "Hey Sebastian" a curvy blond with a French twist greeted me as she passed. 

I smiled at her and was about to go catch her name when I at last spotted Kathryn walking into one of the changing rooms with a glass of champagne. Quickly I made a bee line over to her and followed her inside to find her already guzzling her drink down. I walked in quietly before slamming the door loudly and asking "thirsty?" 

She jumped and spun around at my intrusion, quickly wiping her mouth. When she saw it was only me she sighed "god, you scared me." 

"I'll bet" 

"You're not suppose to be back here but since you are, mind unzipping me?" 

I leered at her as I reached for the zipper "do you have to ask?" 

"So are you going to tell me what you're doing with her or should I just guess?" 

"With who?" I inquired innocently. 

Kathryn turned to face me and then slowly let the dress fall to the floor leaving her in a strapless white lace bra and a pair of matching panties. Kicking the expensive garment to the side as if it were a piece of trash she hissed "whatever you are up to with that slut it won't work. You think by bringing her here he'll go running back to her? No fucking way, Jackson is much too smart to fall for your bullshit." 

Turning on her heels she stormed over to the vanity table and plopped down in front of it. I watched her intently as she proceeded to put her hair up and I wondered if I really just heard her right. "Jackson's too smart to fall for my bullshit? Are you kidding me?" 

"No I'm not so go ahead and plot away but I'll still win." Stopping her movements she looked up at me with a confident gleam in her eye and revealed "he's practically in love with me already." 

Scowling I leaned down and reveled "that's not the way he tells it. I talked to him before the show started and he told me all about your vacation." 

She turned around quickly, her face anxious as she asked "what did he tell you?" 

"Why are you so interested?" Gently touching her face remarked "I thought you had victory in the bag?" 

"Valmont..." 

"He wants to know why you won't sleep with him. Says you came close but you always pull away." 

Kathryn's green eyes stared off lost in thought as she admitted "we almost did a couple of times. This one night on the beach..." Noticing that I was staring at her she looked back at me suddenly cold "but we didn't. So you should be pleased I'm following the rules of the wager." 

"Yes but it has to be somewhat frustrating" I noted letting my finger tips caress her arms. "Do you really think you can go without any...release?" 

"I think I can find some sort of suitable replacement in the meantime." 

Leaning in closer I said "maybe I could help. I seem to recall a certain birthday gift you gave in the elevator..." 

Kathryn stood up suddenly and replied "not interested." 

Grabbing her roughly I forced her back down and snarled "you can't tell me that kiss didn't do anything for you." 

"It was all right" she shrugged. "I've had better." 

"Such as?" When I was met with only a coy smile my eyes narrowed and I yelled "him?! You prefer him to me?" 

Shifting closer to me until her mouth grazed my earlobe Kathryn whispered "what if I did?" 

It was then I realized there was a very real possibility that not only would I loose the bet but I might very well loose Kathryn. All along I was sure there was no way Jackson would fall for her. The idea that she could fall in love with him never crossed my mind. Kathryn was after all too hard, too cold, too in control to ever be guided by her emotions. Then again she was an eighteen year old girl who maybe I didn't know as well as I thought I did. 

Pulling away from her I breathed "my god, you really like him don't you?" 

"What?" she exclaimed. "Don't be retarded Valmont, it's just a bet." 

"Yeah I'm fully aware of that but are you?" 

Standing up she walked to the other side of the room and huffed "of course I do." 

I watched her for a moment seeing that she was purposely avoiding my stare. Truth be told I couldn't figure out if it was all in my head or if she really did like Jackson. Getting to my feet I grabbed her from behind and pulled her towards me. "Prove it" I whispered. 

Before she had a chance to act I crushed my lips to her hers and pressed my body flush against hers. Immediately I felt her nails dig into my chest, equal parts pushing me away and pulling me closer. When she started to pull away I grabbed at the back on her head and pressed her even closer. At last she gave in and kissed me back, tugging at my hair as I kissed her hard and furious. 

Kissing Kathryn was almost like getting kissed for the first time. It was a completely new sensation that was both exciting and a little frightening. I was sure as we made out that she was into it, she was into me. But in the end I couldn't tell if she was just trying to prove a point or if she wanted me as much as I wanted her. 

I decided to see how far I could push things by letting my hand crepe down to her panties. Just as I was sliding two fingers inside she pulled away completely breathless, "we're done now." 

"Am I being dismissed?" 

"Jackson will be here any minute and I'd hate to have to tell him how you attacked me first by taking my dress off then forcing yourself on me." 

I cocked an eyebrow at her "well it's nice to know your sense of malevolence hasn't changed any." 

"And it never will. Now get the fuck out" 

When she turned her back on me I thought about saying something back, something witty or cutting that would make her turn and face me. Just as I opened my mouth however I heard Jackson come up behind me. "Hey baby" he called "you were amazing." 

Kathryn, now dressed turned at the sound of his voice and smiled "I've been waiting for you." 

As she threw her arms around him and they embraced I slowly backed out of the room. For the first time in my life I felt invisible. Kathryn didn't acknowledge me when I left, she had eyes only for Joshua. I knew then things were changing and not even I could stop them. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	5. People Don't Change Over Night

Trip On Love 

Summary: Sebastian comes to a startling realization about the true nature of Kathryn's feeling for Jackson. 

Authors Note: It was incredibly stupid (not to mention not very creative) for me to give the male characters in both this story and The Tribunal with such similar names. I'll try not to confuse Jackson and Joshua again. 

Chapter 5: People Don't Change Over Night 

"Valmont, have you ever considered seeking professional help?" Blaine Tuttle inquired as he played with the plastic straw poking out of his diet soda. 

Glancing up from the steel binoculars which were currently keeping my attention I explained distractedly "yeah I did, but it's a lot less time consuming to bring you along instead. Besides you usually know how to keep your mouth shut." 

"No, no that's not what I meant" he snickered shaking his head. "I was referring to help of the psychological nature. You know maybe look into this obsessive compulsive trait of yours." 

Slamming the hard metal object onto the linoleum counter top I nearly yelled "I am not the one who needs help! Kathryn's the one who needs her head examined! Three weeks ago she was completely normal but as soon as she came back from her trip with Jack she's like a god damn Stepford wife!" 

"Okay calm down" Blaine whispered as he quickly glanced around at the other patrons who were occupying the pizza parlor. My little outburst had attracted more than a few stares but I didn't give a damn. I was so agitated I felt like I was going to burst. First there was having to deal with my father who I caught sneaking one of his mistresses out of the house this morning. Then Kathryn calls me and canceled our lunch so she could go out with Jackson and now Blaine telling me I was the one who needed help! Jesus fucking Christ had it been anyone else who said that to me I probably would have smacked him but seeing as it was Blaine and I did need him to help me with my latest plan, I tried to stay cool. 

"I'm calm" I assured him as I picked the binoculars back up and fiddled with the lens. "There's just no way I'm going to loose this bet." 

I could feel Blaine's eyes on me as he watched me curiously. Then with a sigh he said "well at the risk of another outburst I have to ask, are you worried about loosing the bet or Kathryn?" 

"Blaine" I explained calmly avoiding his eyes. "I told you what the terms of the wager were. If...WHEN I win I get Kathryn and then I'll have the added pleasure of revealing to Jackson that his supposed relationship with her was all a scam." 

"Oh so none of this has to do with you developing feelings for Kathryn?" 

Shooting him a glare I replied "no of course not. Kathryn's...just another girl and when I'm done with her she'll be just another conquest." 

Sipping his drink loudly Blaine chuckled to himself as she sat back in his seat. "Whatever you say Valmont." 

"Meaning?" I grumbled starting once again to become irritated. 

He gave me one of his all knowing smirks, "all I'm saying is you don't see Kathryn hiding across the street with a pair of binoculars spying on you and your date, do you?" 

I knew he had a point but I wasn't about to admit it. Instead I snarled at him "correct me if I'm wrong Blaine but I don't believe I'm paying you for your running commentary am I?" 

Blaine's confident smile fell as he sighed "no you're not but-" 

"Good" I lamented. "Now did you find that phone number I asked you to get?" 

He nodded reaching into the front pocket of his sweater vest. Blaine pulled out a piece of paper with this neat penmanship scrawled out on the front. "I got it, are you going to make the call?" 

"No you are" 

He let out a sigh of disgust "me? Why don't you do it?" 

"Because moron his agent knows me" I explained as if talking to a two year old. Shaking my head at him I went on "besides you're really good at that crap and I'm pretty sure he's a fag so just charm him and shit." 

"Right" Blaine sighed "well to charm him and shit, it's going to cost you extra." 

I rolled my eyes wondering why I didn't just hire a professional. If I had I wouldn't have had to put up with incessant whining and comments on how I run my life. Still I was desperate and it was too late to find anyone else to aid me. Reaching into my coat I pulled out a few hundreds and tossed them carelessly at Blaine. "That should about do it, make the call.' 

As Blaine pulled out his cell phone and started dialing I got to my feet taking the binoculars with me. Glancing up at me he asked "where are you going?" 

"I'm going to get a better look" I called back as I pushed my way past the glass door and walked out onto the busy city sidewalks. Walking to the corner I raised the binoculars to my eyes and aimed them across the street towards Bryant park where Kathryn and her date were currently residing. Yes I'll admit it was a little pathetic for me to be spying in such a manor but at the moment my curiosity far out weighted my pride. 

I couldn't get over the fact that Blaine thought I was the one who was developing feelings when it was so obviously Kathryn who was letting herself get emotionally involved. It was just a bet according to her and yet she had barely left Jackson's side ever since they officially began dating. Normally I would think she was just doing it to drive me crazy but no, there was definitely more to it. I saw the way she looked at him and it was genuine no matter how much she denied other wise. 

After a few minutes of spying and coming up empty I began to think maybe they hadn't gone to the park as Kathryn had revealed. The more I got to thinking about it the more I began to realize she had probably given me a false location just to throw me off track. Kathryn after all was quite the crafty bitch and I wouldn't put it past her to do something like that. 

Then just as I started to turn and leave I noticed that familiar head of dark silky hair. Sure enough as I lifted the binoculars up to my eyes and focused, Kathryn came into view. Dressed in a lacy white sun dress she looked as lovely as ever but unfortunately she had Jackson attached to her mouth. 

Yanking the spy gear away from my face in disgust I scowled wondering not for the first time what exactly it was that drew her to him. They weren't having sex so it wasn't a physical thing and to my knowledge Kathryn didn't really crave much else in a man outside of what he could give her in the bedroom. Also Jackson was famous but I didn't really see that boosting her reputation any. What else could she want? 

As I pondered this query I felt a presence behind me and without turning to see who it was I asked "did you do it?" 

"Yeah" came Blaine's short response "I called and fed him the story. Looks like this is Charlotte's lucky day." 

I nodded suddenly regaining my confident smile. "Well with any luck mine is right around the corner." 

****** 

"Wow Sebastian your place is amazing" Guinevere cooed into my ear later that night. 

Taking her by the hand I guided her down the marble floor that led to my bedroom. I wasn't interested in what she thought of my home, all I wanted was to take her back to my bed and tare off that tiny dress that was barely covering her body. 

Pulling me back to her with surprising force she giggled "what's the hurry?" 

I pressed myself into her thereby trapping Guinevere firmly against the wall. "No hurry" I assured her in a low voice as my fingers traced over her beautiful face. "It's just we spent all night in that loud club and now I would really like to get you alone so we could...talk." 

Her smile widening she repeated "talk? Look Sebastian I may be a model but I'm not an idiot." 

"Of course you're not" I played along. "If you were you would have told me no when I asked you out today." 

She laughed at this, tossing back her long blond hair. Wrapping her arms around my neck she murmured "I guess you have a point." 

Knowing I needn't say any more I drew her mouth towards mine and kissed her hungrily. There was no longer any need for foreplay so why bother? We both knew she was a sure thing and that romantic sentiments were pointless. When I began slowly pulling her dress up around the waist I wasn't met with any protest, just a soft moan of approval. 

Strangely enough when I grabbed Guinevere more forcefully and we started to stumble back towards my bedroom I wasn't the least bit excited. Yeah I was hard and everything, it just didn't seem like that big of deal. The anticipation I had that night at Jackson's party when I thought I was about to fuck her was gone. Now it was just like going to bed with any other girl. 

I thought when I made this date with Guinevere it would help me take my mind of the wager. It seemed to be working until right after we finished dancing, she casually asked me if Jackson had mentioned her at all. I realized then the real reason she had eagerly agreed to go out with me. For once in my life it was I who was getting used. How utterly pathetic. Still I assured myself I would get my revenge when I tossed her out of my bed as soon as I got my fill of her. 

Guinevere continued on giggling as we fell against my hard door. With my free hand I tried to open the door and it took a few tries before I got it. "There we go" I laughed as we stumbled into the room. 

I continued kissing my way down her neck as I pawed at her breasts. It took me a moment to realize that Guinevere wasn't responding. Looking up at her I noticed her attention was else where, behind me to be more specific. "Looks like you have company" she told me softly. 

Spinning around I saw Kathryn sprawled out across my bed as if she belonged there. Wearing a sexy black dress she gave me a sly smile "hey." 

My eyes narrowed suspiciously at her, "what are you doing here?" 

Looking down at her watch she asked "you told me eleven thirty didn't you?" 

"Huh?" 

"Um, Sebastian if you had plans...." Guinevere said pulling away from me uncomfortably. 

However I pulled her back taking her by the hand. "No, no I don't" I assured her throwing a questioning glance to Kathryn. "Someone must have gotten her wires mixed up." 

"I don't think so" Kathryn replied as she began to crawl to the end of the bed. Resting a hand on my shoulder she purred "this must be Guinevere, she's a lot prettier than you described. This is going to be a fun night." 

"Fun night?" the model repeated. "Sebastian what is she talking about?" 

Before I could explain some sort of excuse for Kathryn's behavior the brunette asked me "didn't you tell her? God Sebastian you are unbelievable! How many times do I have to tell you to clear it with them ahead of time?" 

"Clear what?" Guinevere demanded 

"A threesome honey" Kathryn explained plainly. "He is always in such a hurry to get the girl back here he doesn't tell them ahead of time. Well no worries, Sebastian tells me you're a regular party girl so this shouldn't be a problem, right?" She asked gently touching the other girls face. 

Guinevere just gawked at Kathryn in utter shock before turning to me and hissing "threesome? You asked me back here so we could have a threesome with your girlfriend!?" 

My eyes glued to Kathryn I replied "she is NOT my girlfriend. Look she's just-" 

"You son of a bitch!" Guinevere shrieked as she brought her hand back and smacked me hard across the face. "God everyone was right about you! You are a pig!" 

Suddenly angry I turned to her and spat back "yeah well you're a whore! The only reason you went out with me was so you could get to Jackson. Well news flash baby, you didn't make that big of an impression. He probably wouldn't even remember your name!" 

Her eyes flashed at me in furry as she charged up and kneed me in the balls, "fuck you creep!" 

Without another word she stormed out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind her as I fell back on the bed in pain. As she left Kathryn tossed back her head and laughed triumphantly "oh I couldn't have done that better myself." 

Blinking away the searing pain that was currently coursing through me I snarled at her "you fucking bitch!" 

"Oh poor Sebastian" she sighed stepping in front of me. "Does it hurt?" 

"What do you think?" 

Grabbing me forcefully by the hair she pulled my head back and hissed "I think you shouldn't have fucked with me to begin with." 

As she let go of her hold me on I coughed "what are you talking about?" 

"I'm talking about how you arranged to have Charlotte be Jackson's costar in his next movie!" 

"Oh that" I sighed getting to my feet. I had nearly forgotten all about the scam Blaine and I had pulled but Kathryn apparently hadn't. It didn't surprise me she had figured out it was me, however I thought it would take her longer to realize the truth. 

Sounding a little calmer she replied "I take it you aren't going to try and deny your involvement." 

"Don't really see the point" 

Turning back to me with a cool smile she said "it won't work. He'll never get back together with that little twit. Especially not after I told him she fucked you that night on the boat." 

"What?!" I roared. "You told him? You little traitor." 

"Oh spare me the righteous indignation" she snickered laying back on the bed. "You're the one who turned this harmless little wager into a war. Besides you have nothing to worry about. Your fake friendship with Jackson is still in tact. He blames Charlotte not you." 

"Good" I sighed sitting down beside her surprisingly relieved. I didn't care if Jack thought I betrayed him but I really didn't feel like dealing with an irate jealous boyfriend. "You know if you're so secure in the fact that he won't cheat on you why did you find it necessary to ruin my date?" 

Sitting up she whispered in my ear "because it's fun silly." 

Turning me head back I found her face was now level with mine. I looked over her body clad in the tight dress and whispered "well it looks like you're not the only one going without sex tonight." 

I expected a quick comeback from her so when she simply raised her eyebrow in a seemingly suggestive gesture I was surprised and then somewhat hopeful. Reaching my hand around I cupped her face and pulled her down for a kiss. I was met with not the slightest bit of resistance so I continued on kissing her until we fell back into the bed. My hands began to roam up her body resting at first on her trim waist. 

When I felt Kathryn's hand caressing my chest I took the end of her dress and pulled it up around her waist. I broke the kiss just long enough to get a peak of her black panties. Pressing myself even closer to her I started kissing her neck and rubbing her mound causing her to arch her back just slightly and let out a moan. "S-Sebastain" she whispered. I was sure she was into it given how her body seemed to be responding but then she told me "I-I can't. Stop, I can't do this." 

As I pulled away to see what the problem was she pushed me away forcefully and then climbed off the bed. My hard on raging and my breath coming out in quick gasps I asked "what's the problem?" 

"I'm not in the mood" she sighed straightening her dress up. 

Rolling my eyes I fell back against the mattress and spat "it sure as hell felt like you were into it? What is it, you don't want to cheat on Jackson?" 

When she turned away from me and started fixing her hair in the mirror I marveled "that's it isn't it? You don't want to be unfaithful to him!" 

"Don't be ridiculous" Kathryn sighed. "I just don't want to...you haven't won the bet therefor no sex." 

"Yeah right" I grumbled not buying a word of it. 

She looked down at me like she was going to say more but stopped herself. Instead she gathered her bag and told me "Jackson and I are throwing a party down at his summer home tomorrow evening. You should come." 

Raising an eyebrow I asked "you two are throwing parties together? Tell me have you picked out a china pattern yet?" 

Ignoring my question Kathryn explained "you should come because I'm sure Jackson will have something important to tell you." 

Turning on her heels she left before telling me what the something was, though I had a sickening feeling what it could be. 

****** 

Against my better judgment I went to the party on the cape, however I did show up an hour late. Not that Kathryn would have noticed anyway. When I walked into Jackson's large beach side home I spotted her across the room laughing as Jackson gathered her in his arms. She seemed happy and giddy, just like those love sick girls who liked to chase me around campus. Seeing that look appear on Kathryns face of all peoples made me want to hurl. 

Ignoring the blond who flanked to my side as soon as I entered, I pushed past the crowd and stopped right in front of the happy couple. When Jackson spotted me over Kathryn's shoulder he smiled warmly "hey, man I didn't think you were going to show." 

"I wasn't going to but after Kathryn asked me so nicely I couldn't say no" I explained smiling down at Kathryn who was staring daggers at me. 

"Oh well glad to hear it" Jack replied untangling himself from around Kathryn. "You want a drink?" 

"Maybe later, hey I heard they cast Charlotte in your new movie." 

Jackson scowled at the statement and looked over at Kathryn before returning my stare. "Yeah they did, even though I told the producer specifically not to. God damn prick doesn't listen" he snarled. 

I wondered if Jack would bring up Charlottes infidelity. I had a feeling he wouldn't, not in front of Kathryn anyway. Unable to resist goading him even further I said "well, Kathryn want to dance?" 

Her green eyes went wide in surprise and my guess anger at the question. When she didn't reply right away I asked Jackson "you don't mind do you?" 

A look of hesitation spread over his face but I knew he would never show signs of being weak, it was all about appearing confident. With a shrug he replied "yeah sure go ahead, have fun." 

Before Kathryn could protest I took her by the hand and pulled her out onto the living room floor where other party goers where dancing to the slow song that was playing. As I drew her close she hissed at me "you're an asshole." 

"Oh what have I done now?" 

"You just had to bring up Charlotte didn't you?" 

"What do you think it bothered him? Maybe you're right, I do think he isn't quite over her yet." 

"Of course he is" she replied confidently. "He has me now." 

"Right" I laughed tightening my grip around her waist. "And now he's completely in love with you. Is that the mysterious thing he was suppose to tell me tonight? It's never going to happen Kathryn." 

"Oh, why not?" 

"Because" I explained "for as well as you THINK you know Jackson, I know him better and he will never fall in love. He's not the type and in my experience people don't change over night." 

Looking down towards the ground she muttered "is that so?" 

Slowing my steps I stared down at her and asked cautiously "are you starting to change Kathryn?" 

"What?" 

"Tell me the truth are you honestly falling for Jack?" 

"Sebastian" she hissed pulling me closer "it's just a bet." 

"Yeah it is" I agreed stopping all together. "But I've seen the way you act around him, it's like...it's like you're changing Kathryn. It's not just about winning the bet, you WANT Jackson to fall in love with you. You want to be with him." 

"No I don't" Kathryn whispered looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping on our conversation. "I'm done discussing this." 

She started to walk away but I wouldn't let her. Grabbing her by the arm I pulled her back to me. For once I wasn't thinking about the little games we play with each other. I was thinking about that night at the opera and how she looked at me after we kissed, then I thought about how she looked in the park that afternoon with Jackson and something over came me. "Prove it" I demanded. "Prove it's really just a game." 

"What? No I can't." 

"Then I'll do it for you" I pulled her to me with great force and then crushed my lips forcefully to hers. I wasn't thinking that Jackson would see us because I didn't care. I just wanted the truth from her. 

Unlike the previous nights encounter Kathryn did not kiss me back. Instead she squirmed against me attempting in vain to push me away. However I ignored her resistance and continued kissing her, even when I heard the quickly approaching foot steps behind me. A moment later a pair of strong hands pulled me back and I suddenly was looking into the very angry face of Jackson. "What the hell are you doing Valmont?" 

"Proving a point" I sneered my eyes locked on Kathryn. "Well sweetheart am I right?" 

"You son of a bitch" she hissed at me. "How dare you!" 

Rolling my eyes at her I told her "save it you little-" 

Before I could finish my sentence I was met with a right hook across the face and stumbled backwards. Everyone had stopped their chatter at this point and were now focusing their attention on me. I ignored them however and looked up at Jackson who was glaring down at me. Rubbing his hand he yelled "I don't know what your problem is Sebastian but don't let me ever see you put your hands on her again. Kathryn is off limits understand? Now go sober up and get the fuck out of my house." 

I took one last hard glance at Kathryn before getting to my feet and storming out of the house. Getting into my jag I slammed the door and rested my throbbing head on the leather steering wheel. There was no need to sober up, I wasn't drunk but I was angry because I realized Kathryn had proven me right. 

****** 

The following morning I didn't bother calling Jackson to apologize. Frankly we had gotten into worse fights in the past and I wasn't terribly eager to make nice with him right now anyway. I did however need to talk to Kathryn so waking up unusually early for a Sunday morning I stopped at the florist before arriving at the Merteuil townhouse. 

One of the butlers let me in, directing me to Kathryn's bedroom. As I made my way down the hall I overheard a burly man, dressed in denim overalls tell one of the maids that the new sprinkler systems were in place but that he had yet to install the manual off button. He would do it tomorrow he assured her as he passed me in the hall. 

Brushing by them I stopped at Kathryn's door and knocked deciding to play polite. When I was met with an almost chipper "come in", I opened her door. Stepping out of her closet in strapless lavender dress Kathryn smiled and then suddenly frowned when she spotted me. "What are you doing here?" 

"Relax" I smiled placing the bundle of red roses in her hands. "I come baring gifts." 

She examined the flowers a moments before tossing them on her couch with little interest. "I don't think I'm the one you should be giving gifts to." 

"Oh?" 

"Jackson's still very pissed with you about last night" 

I shrugged plucking a rose from the bunch. "He'll get over it" 

Kathryn eyed me a moment before turning and heading to the door. "I'm late" she explained over her shoulder. "I have to meet Jackson in five minutes." 

"I was right wasn't I?" She stopped in her tracks and turned to me as if for an explanation. Even though I knew she knew what I meant I still stated "you're falling for him." 

I honestly did think she would deny it, after all the Kathryn I knew would never admit to falling in love but perhaps this wasn't the same girl anymore. Closing the door she turned back to me and replied "yes I am." 

We stared at each other intensely for a moment, each daring the other to speak. Finally I let out a short humorless laugh, "I don't believe this." 

"What's so unbelievable about it?" 

"YOU in love!" 

Storming up to me, her fists clenched she hissed "you don't know me Sebastian-" 

"And Jackson does?" I shot back. "Christ Kathryn he only wants one thing from you, can't you see that?" 

"No YOU only want one thing from me!" she screamed. 

I nodded "yes but I've always been honest about it! What happened to you Kathryn? You use to be smarter than this!" 

"Nothing's changed" 

"Yes it has, you're running around acting like some insipid schoolgirl. You're better than that or at least I thought so." 

Kathryn started to protest but them shook her head in aggravation. "You know what? I'm not doing this now. The simple fact of the matter Sebastian is that I like Jackson and I want to be with him so...I'm ending the bet." 

"Oh like hell you are!" 

She snickered "and how do you plan of making me continue with it, hmm?" 

Striding up to her confidently I lifted her chin and explained in a menacing tone "if you back out now I'll tell Jackson all about the wager." When her eyes went wide I chuckled "something tells me he won't be so protective of you when he finds out how you played him." 

Kathryn jerked her head away from me "it won't work. Even if we continued on...Jackson would never tell you how he feels about me. He hates you now." 

"Temporarily maybe" I responded arrogantly. "But by lunchtime all will be forgiven and forgotten." 

"Fine!" she yelled. "The bet is on but I'm telling you now Jackson loves me. I'm going to win this stupid little game and in the end I'll end up with Jack and you'll end up alone, as usual." 

Before I could say anything further she turned and left. Watching her go I wanted to scream after her but I didn't know what to say. She was after all right, Jackson was practically in love with her. If things kept going the way they were going they would end up riding off into the sunset together and I would end up alone. As usual. 

I began to pace, trying to think of a way to prevent this scenario from taking place. How did this all start to begin with I wondered. It occurred to me it was when they went away together, when they spent time together. So what I needed to do was get her away from him...and near me, but how? Stopping in my tracks I was hit with a sudden burst of inspiration. 

Charging out of the room I headed back down the hallway. I wasn't letting my emotions get involved, I told myself. This was strictly to keep Jackson from getting Kathryn. It was all about winning. I didn't care for her. I didn't...well never mind. 

I repeated this to myself as I stopped in front of the switchboard that controlled the sprinkler system. I realized this was insane but if it went the way I planned Kathryn and I would be spending a lot of time together. It was with that thought I pulled the switch sending an immediate rain shower over my head. Turning around I saw the sprinklers come down and immediately spray out over the living room and adjoining rooms. Yeah that should do it, I laughed. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	6. Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies...

Trip On Love 

Summary: Sebastian devises a plan that would put Kathryn in closer proximity to him but is that what he really wants? 

Chapter 6: Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer 

"Mother there's something I need to discuss with you." 

I strode confidently into the downstairs drawing room where my mother was currently busying herself with the latest batch of invitations to yet another party. This was rather surprising seeing as I thought she left such trivial matters to one of her assistants while she went off to the spa. Actually I was taken back to find her at home at all but none the less I was pleased seeing I needed her help with my latest scheme. 

Looking up at me she smiled warmly, an expression that always looked startling on her usually placid face. Then again if there was one thing Olivia Valmont loved more than her furs and diamonds, it was her only son. "Yes darling what is it?" 

Reaching down I scooped up one of the heavy cream colored cards and studied it with only marginal interest. "What party is this for?" I sighed the boredom seeping out of my voice. "Another save the rare endangered animal of the week fundraiser?" 

"No" she said with an amused smile playing on her collagen injected lips. "It's your father and I's anniversary next week." 

"Oh" I grumbled tossing the invite down in disgust. Needless to say with my fathers constant philandering, my parents marriage wasn't my favorite topic of conversation. Especially with my mother. 

Although she might appear rather daft at times she wasn't a moron, far from it. Looking up at her only son she studied me intently, "is something wrong Sebastian?" 

"No, nothing" I replied, hoping to cover my tracks. "But is it absolutely necessary that I come?" 

"Sebastian!" she exclaimed showing sudden emotion. "It's our twentieth wedding anniversary, half of Manhattan will be there! What would it look like if my own son didn't show up?" 

It would look like he didn't want to go along with this farce of a family. The very idea of lifting my glass and toasting my parents along with the rest of the Upper East side crowd was stomach churning. Most everyone knew about my father's thing for young girls but of course no one said a word, including him. 

I wanted to tell my mother the truth about my father. That his supposed late night dinners and business trips were all a ruse so he could go diddle his latest executive assistant. However I didn't but it had nothing to do with my fathers idle threats of boarding school. No the real reason, as sappy as it sounded was I didn't want to see my mother in pain. If she was to discover my father's infidelity it would break her and I wouldn't allow that. 

So putting my snarky tone aside I forced a smile and said "don't worry mother I'll go, I was just kidding." 

She seemed to let out a sigh of relief as I told her this. Smiling she went back to her invitations, "that's my good boy. Oh what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" 

Oh yes I had almost forgotten. Almost. 

Sitting down across from her in the antique lounger I stated "well it's about a friend of mine. You know the Merteuil's right?" 

"Of course" 

"Well then I assume you've heard about that most unfortunate problem they had with their newly installed sprinkler system." 

My mother looked up at me and nodded sympathetically "yes it's terrible, the house completely flooded. I'm just so glad we had ours installed my a reliable company. Poor Tiffani, it will take her ages to get that place looking like it once did." 

"Yes" I said trying to hide the smirk that so desperately wanted to appear. It was only a week since I flooded Merteuil manor and sure enough everyone now knew about the supposed disaster. Tiffani however had yet to come home from where ever it was she was hiding and Kathryn was currently screening my calls but something told me we'd be in touch again real soon. 

"Sebastian" my mother sighed "I get the feeling you're going to ask me for something, what is it?"  


I smiled at her as I sat up in my seat, "well I would like to extend an invitation for Kathryn to stay with us while her house is...drying out. As you know her mother is away on...business and most of her relatives are oversees so she really has no one to stay with. I think it would be the courteous thing to allow her to stay in one of your lovely guest rooms." 

My mother had sat her pen down during the middle of my speech and was now fixing me with her knowing stare. Like I said Livia, as I insisted of calling her when I was being abrasive and or mean, wasn't an idiot and she knew me well enough to know I usually had some other agenda up my Prada clad sleeve. 

"Let me get this straight dear, you just woke up this morning and felt a sudden need to be chivalrous to one of our more attractive neighbors?" 

"Mother" I spat trying my best to appear incredulous "are you suggesting I have an ulterior motive to want to help one of my fellow classmates and oldest friends?" 

"It wouldn't be the first time" she drawled. "Since when is Kathryn Merteuil one of your closest friends? I hardly ever see you two associate with one another." 

That's because the little bitch couldn't stand her reputation being smeared by the likes of me but of course she'll go screw around with some arrogant Hollywood scum bag. "I guess you could say we've gotten a lot closer this summer. Come on mom, just call Ms. Merteuil up and suggest Kathryn stay with us. I mean think of how well it will reflect on the family if we take in one of the most respectable girls in New York." 

"Hmm, I see" she replied carefully. "Sebastian your interest in Kathryn wouldn't happen to extend beyond her sparkling reputation would it?" 

Knowing what she was implying I said in my best dead pan voice, "she has a boyfriend." 

"Yes and if memory serves that's never stopped you in the past." 

I let out a laugh as I got to my feet and strode up to her desk. "Mother, can you please just do this for me? I promise I have nothing but the purest of intentions where Kathryn's concerned." 

I watched as my mother seemed to think it over. She purposely seemed to take her time rendering her decision, in fact if I didn't know better I would think she was enjoying tormenting me. Finally after letting out a deep sigh she called out "Stella, could you please find me the number of Tiffani Merteuil's cell phone?"  


"Right away ma'am" came the chipper sound of their down stairs maid. 

Looking up at me with an adoring smile she asked "happy now darling?" 

I smiled "oh excruciatingly so." 

****** 

So it happened two days later I watched from the foyer window as a long black limousine pulled up to the front of the Valmont townhouse. A moment later the driver hopped out and quickly opened the back door. A set of smooth, bare legs appeared first followed by the full voluptuous form of Kathryn Merteuil. Wearing a strapless black dress she fixed the large sunglasses on her face before striding up to the front door with anything but a pleased expression on her face. 

I waited until she stepped through the front door before greeting her. When Kathryn spotted me her scowl deepened and her posture stiffened even more if that was possible. For some reason seeing her obvious fury over the situation just made me smile more. "Good afternoon Kathryn. You're looking especially...edible today." 

Pulling the glasses from her face she spat "cut the shit Valmont." 

My pleasant smile changed to a smirk as I stepped even closer to her but I didn't touch her. "How about a little gratitude? I mean after I went through all the trouble of convincing my mother to let you stay here." 

Moving towards me, her eyes flashing dangerously she snarled "I know you did- 

"Oh Kathryn you're here" my mothers voice filtered down the hallway. As soon as she entered Kathryn's anger was quickly replaced with her fake charming demeanor. I watched this transformation with equal parts fascination and disgust. 

"Mrs. Valmont" she replied sweetly as the two leaned in and kissed one anthers cheek. "Thank you so much for inviting me to stay at your lovely home. It was so kind of you." 

"Well" my mother beamed "you should really thank my son. It was all his doing." 

Kathryn's green eyes shot to me as her smile tensed for just a moment. "I bet it was" she replied. "Um, if you don't mind I'm feeling rather tired. I haven't slept that well since I moved out of my house and I'd really time to get some sleep." 

"Of course, I completely understand. You can take the room across from Sebastian's." 

I was a little surprised at my mothers suggestion but I didn't show it. Kathryn nodded as she bent to pick up her Louis Vitton bag. Reaching out I tried to take it from her, "I'll show you where it is." 

Placing her right hand over mine she allowed her carefully manicured finger nails to dig into my skin until they almost drew blood. "That's quite all right Sebastian" she responded the hard look in her eyes betraying the smile on her face. "I'll manage." 

As Kathryn pulled the bag from me she threw my mother one last smile before strutting down the hall towards her room. As we watched her depart my mother sighed "I hope you know what you're doing." 

"Always" 

****** 

As it happened I spent most of the day away from the house. Kathryn either really was sleeping or she decided to stay in her room as a means of avoiding me. Either way there was no point in me hanging around waiting for her to sneak out, we would run into one another eventually. 

Instead I spent a majority of the afternoon frolicking around the Plaza with the Hilton sisters. Sure they were sluts but they were easy scores and I needed to preserve my energies. Something told me I was going to need it when I finally ran into Kathryn again. 

It wasn't until nearly midnight that I finally arrived home. After parking my car in the underground garage I came up the back entrance and after stopping by the kitchen for a little dinner I headed up to my room. Just as I reached the upstairs hallway though the sounds of angry whispers. "Jackson I can't leave" Kathryn hissed. "I told you mother is making me stay here while the house gets put back together."  


"Right and she just so happens to be forcing you to stay at Valmont's?" 

Jack was standing by Kathryn's bedroom door, twisting his jacket almost violently in his hands. I could have made my presence known at this point but I decided to stay hidden in the shadows in favor of watching this little confrontation play itself out. 

Stepping out into the hall Kathryn rubbed her bare shoulders as she yelled at him, "he has nothing to do with this, believe me! God you have no reason to be jealous?" 

"Jealous" he snickered "of Sebastian, please!" 

"Oh come on" she pushed her voice dropping to a husky whisper as she stepped closer to him. "My room is just across the hall from him. His bed is only twenty feet away..." 

"That's enough" Jackson barked grabbing her face. "Not another fucking word. He'll never touch you, not while there's a breath in my body." 

Want to bet buddy? The prick was really fucking dellusional if he thought that. If he only knew about all the other touching I'd done to his precious Kathryn. 

Taking him by the hand Kathryn pleaded "come back inside and forget about him, please?" 

He pulled away from her roughly, "no I've had enough for one night. I need to be alone." 

Without another word Jackson stormed down the hall in the opposite direction. "Jackson" Kathryn called out after him but he ignored her. 

When I was sure he was gone I called out "well that was interesting." 

She spun around at the sound of my voice and rolled her eyes in annoyance. Turning around Kathryn headed back into her room and tried to close the door. However I pushed my way in before she could. "What do you want?" she grumbled tossing herself on the bed. 

I slowly circled the canopy bed located in the center of the room as Kathryn looked on impatiently. "Just wanted to make sure you were okay. What were you fighting about?" 

"None of your business" she muttered as she started flipping through the latest issue of Vogue. 

"Well if it concerns out little wager I think it does" 

"Well too bad it doesn't" 

I let out a frustrated sigh as I sat back on the bed beside her. "Do you still believe you're in love with him?" 

Kathryn let out a short laugh "I don't believe anything." Looking up at me she replied coldly "I know I love him." 

This was the first time she had admitted it even though it seemed to go unsaid in our last conversation. She loved him or at least she thought she did but I wasn't so convinced. Call me dellusional but I refused to believe Kathryn could change into some girl who could be swayed by the charms of Jackson Maguire. 

Moving back on the bed I rested myself behind Kathryn and began to gently caress her bare arms. "No you don't" I whispered to her. 

"Oh I don't?" she snickered. "Tell me Valmont what makes you the fucking expert on my life?" 

"I'm not" I admitted. "But you're changing Kathryn and I don't like it. I want my friend back." 

There it was, the real reason I had gone through all this trouble to get Kathryn here. It wasn't just because I wanted to win the bet or get her in bed. I missed her, the way she use to be before she started acted all sappy towards Jackson. For some reason I hadn't wanted to admit it before but now I had little choice. I had to shake her from this spell she seemed to be under. 

Kathryn's body seemed to stiffen suddenly underneath my hand. "Nothing's changed"  


"Yeah it has you just refuse to see it. Look what if I promised to lay off the overtures for a little while? I'll even keep my hands to myself" I explained as I took my hand off her hip. 

I could see the corners of her mouth turn up in a smile as she responded "I think we both know that's an impossible task for you at best. Anyway this has nothing to do with sex. I love Jackson Sebastian and no amount of pleading or mind games will make me feel otherwise so just deal with it." 

Feeling a wave of anger at her words I grabbed her once again only this time more rough and forceful. Pressing her body flush against mine I hissed in her ear. "There is still the matter of our bet though isn't there. Tell me has Jack confessed his undying love to you yet?" 

"No" 

I snickered "no he hasn't and with you living under the same roof as me that jealousy steak of his is bound to push you two further and further away. You don't have much time left which means it's looking more and more likely you'll end up in my bed after all. Then I'll have the added pleasure of telling your true love all about how I nailed you before he did. So tell me what will you do when you loose our wager?" 

Pulling out of my grip Kathryn looked over her shoulder at me as explained in a cold voice "then I'll go to bed with you just as we agreed. I'll get in your bed, allow you inside of me, and close my eyes. During your whole five minutes of victory I'll imagine it's Jackson inside of me and his body wrapped around me." 

Getting up from the bed she strut over to the bathroom and called out coolly "get out." 

The wind at last taken out of my sails I did as I was told and left. 

****** 

"Once again I just wanted to apologize for my actions that night Jackson. You're right I was really drunk and I got into a fight with this chick earlier so I just took it out on Kathryn. I didn't mean anything by it I swear." In the midst of acting my little heart out I looked up at my supposed best friend with pleading eyes and asked "do you think you can accept my apology?" 

It was a pointless question because I knew he would. If he didn't it would seem as if he believed I did really pose a threat to his relationship with Kathryn. It would make Jackson look weak and he wouldn't allow that. In truth that really was all our friendship was based on. Who was stronger than who. 

Jackson who had been leaning against a folding table located in the small trailer that was currently acting as the makeup room on the set of his latest movie, he just stared at me cautiously for a moment. It occurred to me then Jackson was smarter than he looked. He wanted to see if I would falter, show my true colors but I didn't. At last he seemed to grudgingly smile, "yeah sure it's cool Valmont. I didn't think you were really after Kathryn anyway." 

"Good" I nodded in satisfaction pretending to let out a sigh of relief. Maybe I should have been the one to become an actor. 

He smiled "I'm sorry I hit you, I just get a little protective of her." 

"You really like Kathryn don't you?" 

I knew I was giving him an opportunity to reveal he loved her but I wasn't worried about that. Even if Jack really did love Kathryn he wasn't going to tell me. That's why I knew I would turn out to be the victor in this little wager. 

Examining his reflection in the mirror beside me, Jackson ran a hand through his dark hair and said "yes I like her a lot. In fact I...I don't even care that were not having sex yet." 

Bullshit! "Wow, then you are a much bigger man than me. I don't think I could stay with a girl for that long if she wasn't putting out. Even if I was really into her." It was funny as I said it I realized how wrong I was. How long had I know Kathryn? How long have I wanted her, and we still hadn't gone to bed? Yet I was still after her. However I told myself it was just the thrill of the hunt and then shook the thought away. 

"Well like I said I-" 

"Mr. Maguire" a small guy carrying a clipboard popped his head into the trailer "the producer wants to talk to you." 

"I'll be there in a second" he called out. Turning to me he smiled apologetically "sorry about this but I got to get back to work. How about you and I get together for a drink later?" 

"Sure" I agreed "I'll talk to you later." 

"Cool" Jackson turned to leave but stopped at the door. "Hey Sebastian thanks for coming by today. It means a lot." 

I nodded in response but as soon as the door closed behind him I rolled my eyes and grumbled "moron." 

"Well if I didn't know better Sebastian I would think you didn't like Mr. Movie star all that much." 

Looking to my left I saw Charlotte come out of the bathroom wearing only a small terry cloth robe. "And they say actresses aren't bright" I drawled. 

Charlotte simply snickered at the comment as she slipped into her canvas chair and began removing her makeup. While pulling her long red hair into a bun she said "by the way I've been meaning to thank you about the job. Quite the career opportunity for me but unfortunately for you it doesn't look like Jackson's going to dump his girlfriend anything soon." 

"You've made no progress?" 

"Sorry sugar but he's just not interested." Standing up she slowly undid her robe and let it fall quietly to the floor. As I eyed her naked form she asked "you wouldn't happen to know anyone who is would you?" 

Although it was more than tempting I had other things on my mind at the moment. "Haven't we already been down this road before?" 

Walking over to me Charlotte rested her hands on my knees and leaned in till her mouth was only an inch from my own. "I was thinking" she purred "maybe we should consider a sequel. Up for it?" She accented the word up by grabbing my dick through my pants and giving it a light squeeze. 

Looking down at her hand I muttered "possibly." 

Charlotte grinned as she moved closer and flickered her wet tongue over my earlobe. "Definitely" she whispered huskily. 

Oh fuck it 

****** 

"Well as much fun as this has been, I have to get going" Charlotte sighed as she climbed out of the pool. 

Treading water as I watched her gorgeous ass exit the pool I laughed "should I be insulted that every time we have sex you immediately flee the scene afterwards?" 

Grabbing a fluffy white towel off the stack folded nicely by the edge of the pool she carefully dried off her naked body. "My leaving has nothing to do with your...abilities" she snickered. "I'm suppose to meet with the director and some of the cast for dinner tonight and I'm already late." 

I swam to the latter and began to pull myself out. "You better run along then" I advised. 

"This was fun" she smiled pulling her dress on over her head "perhaps we should do it again sometime." 

Sliding a hand to her waist I replied "perhaps." 

Actually it had found it to be quite a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Charlotte was more than a decent fuck and she was generally fun to be around, sort of like Kathryn use to be before that stick became permanently wedged up her ass. Following a hand job in the trailer I invited Jackson's costar back to my place. Instead of going to my bedroom where I was sure Kathryn might try to interrupt I suggested the indoor pool for a little skinny dipping. This proved to me much more entertaining than screwing around in my bed for an hour or so. 

Once she finished dressing I pulled Charlotte back to me and into a kiss. Still naked my burgeoning erection hit against her sex causing her to moan against my mouth. As she broke away she sighed "I have to get going." Looking down at my dick she asked "ring check?" 

"We'll see" I replied arrogantly to which she smiled and turned to leave. 

As I watched her walk out the glass doors and stood in silence realizing that I wasn't alone. Without turning around I knew who this person was hiding in the shadows but I wondered how long had she been here? Had she watched Charlotte and me fuck? The thought brought a smile to my face. 

Turning around I found Kathryn standing behind me on the balcony that overlooked the pool. As I did I could feel her eyes brush over my naked form and could practically see the ends of her lips trying not to curl into a smirk. Any other girl would have turned away at the sight of a naked guy or apologized even but this was Kathryn. She didn't operate like anyone else. 

Wrapping the towel around my neck I asked "enjoying the view?" 

Smiling she replied "it has it's advantages." 

"How long have you been spying on me?" 

"Relax Valmont" she sighed as she descended the stairs. "I only caught the last act of your little...whatever with that little-" 

"Watch it" I warned teasingly "that's a close friend of mine you're talking about." 

"Close friend?" she repeated in disgust. "You fucked her once and correct me if I'm wrong but I thought you already scratched that particular itch where she was concerned?" 

I grinned "I guess it started up again." 

"You don't actually like her do you?" 

"What if I did?" 

Kathryn stepped closer to me her eyes now openly eyes my dick which was hard as a rock. In fact if she stepped much closer it was liable to hit her in the stomach. With a coy smile on her face Kathryn remarked "I didn't realize I had such an uplifting effect on you." 

It was taking up myself control not to grab her and crush her body against mine. Instead however I kept my grip on the towel around my neck. "You have all sorts of effects on me" I told her coldly. 

"I can see that" she said as she moved until our bodies were touching. "I've been thinking that if you were to win this bet it might not be so bad after all. It might even be fun." 

"Really." 

Kathryn nodded as she began to trail a finger down my chest and lower abdomen. "Yes, I mean if Jackson really doesn't love me then I don't see the harm in going to bed with you. Just the idea of us rolling around in that big bed of yours, naked, sweaty, it's making me very...wet and you're obviously very..." 

"Hard" I finished for her through clenched teeth as I desperately tried to suppress a groan. She was just inches from my throbbing prick and I could already imagine her hand wrapped around me. 

"Yes you are" she agreed inching even lower. "My body is just trembling at the mere thought of feeling you inside me. However" her hand stopped just as it reached my sex "since the odds of any of this happening are slim to none..." Kathryn looked down and said "down boy." 

Practically trembling from the lust she brought up in me then quickly squashed I looked up to find Kathryn staring at me with a triumphant grin. She obviously was quite pleased at her ability to play me but I was not amused. "Bitch" I snarled. 

Kathryn only laughed before turning on her heels and heading out the door. However I had had it up to here with getting shit on by her. Deciding to exact a little pay back on her I grabbed Kathryn roughly by the shoulders and pushed her fully clothed ass in the pool. She hit the water with a loud shriek. As she rose to the surface she yelled "you son of a bitch!"  


"Good evening Kathryn" I said with a dismissive laugh as I tossed my towel to her. On my way out Jackson suddenly came through the door and stared at me funny when he realized I was nude. I simply chuckled, patted him on the back and said "she's all yours." 

Fuck 'em 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	7. The World As I Knew It Changed

Trip On Love 

Summary: The Valmont's engagement party is the setting for a series of life altering events for Sebastian. 

Chapter 7: The World As I Knew It Changed 

All I can say is it was one bizarre night. What I assumed would be just another one of my parents dull, bullshit parties had turned into something else entirely. There are many words I could use to describe what transpired that night but trust me when I say dull isn't one of them. 

I still hadn't caught my breath and I wasn't sure if I ever would, certainly not after that. My body was aching from both pleasure and pain. Glancing down my naked torso to my now limp cock I wondered if it was possible to bruise a dick. I guess I would find out tomorrow. The rest of me was also littered with wounds: bite marks on my thigh and just below the nipple, scratches on my chest and arms. It would probably hurt like hell in the morning but it was worth it. God damn was it worth it. 

It wasn't just that it had been good sex. No, it had been cataclysmic, world shattering, earth shaking, mild blowing sex. It was fucking and making love and every other euphemism all rolled into one. All the sex I had experienced in my young life suddenly seemed so pointless and boring in comparison. Would there ever be anything as good as this? 

Shooting a glance to my desk where my journal was laying idly by I realized I didn't even want to record this. Writing about this, comparing it to the other times just made it seem so trivial when it was anything but. This was special, this deserved it's own goddamn book. 

Turning my head I observed the goddess beside me as her breathing returned to normal. Her soft, beautiful body also looked as though it had been thoroughly ravaged. Her once perfect hair was now a mess of curls resting on a pillow and her perfect makeup was no more. Still I don't think she ever looked as beautiful to me as she did in that moment. 

I wanted to reach out and pull her into my arms. Tell her to relax and rest, I wished so badly to comfort her but I didn't. She was looking away from me now, maybe purposely, her eyes filled with anxiety and confusion. My brain searched for the perfect words to use to reach out to her but all my usually clever tongue could manage was, "Kathryn..."  


"Don't say anything" she whispered. "There's nothing left to say." 

~_ Five Hours Earlier_ ~ 

I wasn't 007 but I was pretty fucking close. Grinning confidently into the full length mirror I straightened my black bow tie and smoothed out the jacket sleeves before nodding in satisfaction. Even though I would rather swallow glass then attend my parents anniversary party I certainly wasn't going to show up looking like shit. My plan for the evening was to have a few drinks, mingle a little and kiss my mother on the cheek as I offered up a phony congratulations before retiring for the evening to my room with a random easy score. A blond would be preferable, I wasn't picky. Just no petite brunettes with attitudes. 

After checking over my appearance one last time I slipped on my glasses and headed out of my room. The party had already started a half an hour ago as evidence by the music and loud chatter floating up to the second floor. I hesitated going down at first, deciding to have one last cigarette before making my appearance. As I fumbled for the package of cigarettes in my tux jacket I noticed out of the corner of my eye Kathryn's bedroom door open just a crack. Unable to resist the nagging urge to spy on her I crept over and peeked it. 

Sitting at the large vanity table, occupying most of the far wall, I watched as she primped herself. Kathryn delicately slipped the straps of her cream colored gown to her shoulders as she brought the perfume bottle to her chest and sprayed. As I studied her I tried to decide weather or not to make my presence known. Ever since out last encounter which left me with an aching case of blue balls and her in the deep end of the pool, Kathryn and I had mostly been avoiding one another. Arranging Kathryn's stay in my home had started to seem like a bad idea, in fact getting involved with her in any sort of way was seeming to be a bad idea and yet here I was loitering at her door. 

"Well, are you just going to linger in the hallway all night or are you going to come in?" she asked the smugness evident in her voice. 

Flinching at having been caught I sighed and pushed the door open further but I didn't come in. Leaning casually against her door frame I drawled "is this all for him?" 

She snickered "I don't need to dress to win anyone's approval." 

"Then why don't you wear that black rubber dress with the fuck-me heels?" 

"Going through my closet again Sebastian? If you wanted to borrow my pink underwear all you had to do was ask." 

"Touché" I replied giving up on our war of insults. Walking into the room I went over to Kathryn and slid the strap of her dress up. My fingers lingering on her shoulder I glanced at her reflection in the mirror and told her "you do look lovely." 

"Thank you" 

We stared at one another for a moment before I took my hand away from her and went and made myself comfortable on her bed. Leaning back on my hands I said "so you're meeting Jackson at the party?" 

"Yes" she sighed glumly. 

"Don't sound too enthusiastic about it" I told her sarcastically. 

Shooting me a glare she explained "Valmont your parents parties aren't exactly my idea of a good time." 

"Like they're mine?" I grumbled. "You think I want to smile and play along as my father plays the faithful husband to my mother? For years he's been screwing around on her and you can be damn sure everyone in that party knows about it except for her. If I didn't think it would hurt her I would expose the bastard for the lying prick he is." 

"Hmm" Kathryn replied a curious look on her face. 

"What does that mean?" 

Turning around in her seat she narrowed her eyes at me, "I never took you to be _naive_ Sebastian." 

Straightening myself out, getting ready for another war of words I demanded "meaning?" Shrugging she turned back to her reflection and put on a pair of diamond earrings, as if she had said nothing at all. Getting annoyed I sat on the edge of the bed, trying to get her attention. "Kathryn? Don't play games, what did you mean by that?" 

Letting out a long sigh she explained "I just meant you don't give your mother enough credit. Olivia is a lot smarter than that." 

"What, you think..." I let the question hang in the air as I tried to wrap my brain around it. I knew what she was hinting at but I didn't believe it, not for a minute. "No, no my mother doesn't know. There's no way she could know about my dad screwing around on her." 

"Well let's see" Kathryn said tilting her head back in thought. "Just for arguments sake, lets say the first time your father cheated on her was with my mom." 

"Which is pretty fucking unlikely" I scoffed. 

"Right, anyway that was years ago and your father is still doing it. You think in all that time your mother hasn't realized it?" Turning to me her face softening she said "come on Sebastian, nobody's that blind. When my father was cheating on my mother she looked the other way too but after awhile she couldn't take it anymore. She left him and now I think she's a lot happier for it. Maybe some day your mother will do the same." 

Feeling a sudden surge of anger I got to my feet and snarled "shut the fuck up Kathryn! You don't know what the hell you're talking about. There's no way she knows because if she did she would never stay with him. My mother is nothing, NOTHING, like your slut bag mother. Don't ever compare them again, understand?" 

Kathryn's bright green eyes studied me as she started to open her mouth to say something but then firmly shut it. Shaking her head she looked away and muttered "fine, believe what you want. I have to get down stairs." 

Realizing I might have gone a bit too far I sighed "Kathryn I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you." 

Straightening out her gown she looked up at me sharply and said "no you shouldn't have. Do me a favor and from now on keep your comments about my mother to yourself." 

I nodded "done." 

"Let's go" Checking my appearance one last time in the mirror I started to pull my glasses off when Kathryn pushed them back on. "Keep them on, they look good on you" she said simply before walking out the door without further explanation. 

I smirked and quickly caught up with her, taking her by the arm when we reached the large staircase that led down to the party. "What are you doing?" she muttered through the phony smile plastered on her face. 

"Wouldn't want you to trip or anything." 

"Hands off" she ordered swatting my arm. "Jackson is already getting far too paranoid where you are concerned. I don't need any additional hassles tonight." 

"He's still not over your living arrangements I take it. What does he think, that I'm going to sneak into your bedroom and molest you in the middle of the night?"  


She snickered "like I'd let you." 

"Like I'd want to." Kathryn stopped on the step and turned to me. She stared me down for a moment until I finally broke, "all right the thought might have crossed my mind from time to time."  


"And probably more than that" she replied with a grin. 

Returning the smile I was about to volley back with a relatively crude comment when Jackson suddenly appeared beside us. "There you are" he murmured wrapping an arm around Kathryn. "I know you like to arrive fashionably late Kathryn but you wait too long and a guy might think you were standing him up." 

"Or off with another guy" I snickered. 

Jackson turned to me with a questioning look while Kathryn shot daggers my way. "Ignore him" she sighed regaining her composure. "Sebastian's just jealous because he couldn't find a date for the evening." 

I smiled sarcastically at her and tossed off "actually I think Charlotte is milling about somewhere. I better go look for her." 

Jackson looked like he was about to say something to me but I quickly disappeared among the crowd before he had a chance. I had enough to deal with tonight without having to stomach the happy couple. Weaving through the crowd I smiled and was courteous but refused to talk to anyone. After doing a lap around the party I realized disappointingly enough that the majority of the guests were friends of my parents therefor not very interesting. 

I started to head towards the bar for a drink when I felt someone tug on my arm. "Finally, Sebastian I was starting to think you would never come down." 

Turning around I kissed my mothers cheek and smiled "of course I came mother, I told you I would. Great party." 

"Cut the sarcasm Sebastian, this is a big night for your father and me. Do you know how big of an accomplishment it is to be married as long as we have? Especially is this city?" 

My expression darkened then as I thought back to what Kathryn said earlier. I knew for once she hadn't said it to be mean but I really thought she was full of shit. There was just no way my mother knew the truth about my father. I knew her and she just wasn't the type of woman to look the other way in a situation like that. She had far too much class. 

"Sebastian are you listening to me?" 

Flinching I said "yeah, sorry. Congratulations mother." 

"Thank you" she smiled knowingly. "You almost sound like you mean it." Looking past me her attentions suddenly focused on the couple over my shoulder. "There's Madison and James Webster, I better go say hello. Lord will you look at her nose, she should sue that doctor." 

I chuckled as she maneuvered past me to go greet her friends. Heading in the opposite direction I thought I saw Charlotte across the room so I decided to go say hello. Before I could grab her attention however Jackson suddenly stepped into my line of vision. I was going to just pretend I hadn't seen him but it was too late. He quickly stalked up to me and then grabbed me by the arm. In one quick motion he opened the balcony doors and pushed us both outside. 

As I yanked my arm from his grip he apologized "sorry about that but I needed to talk to you...in private." 

Smoothing out my jacket sleeve, somewhat irritated I grumbled a disinterested "what about?" 

Jackson studied me a moment before blurting out, "I need to know the truth. Is there something going on between you and Kathryn?" 

My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I tossed my head back and sighed. Looking back at him I exclaimed "of course not, she's into you." 

"Good" 

"I think you should-" 

"I'm in love with her" he said suddenly and quickly. 

At first I wasn't even sure I heard him right until I saw the look in his eyes and realized he was waiting for a reaction from me. For once I didn't have one for him. I felt as if I'd been punched and my first instinct was to punch back. Blinking back my surprise I repeated "love? You love her?" 

"Yeah I know" he muttered looking away from me. "It's corny and pathetic but I can't help it. I'm completely head over ass in love with the girl. I've tried to ignore it, I've tried to deny it, but I can't any longer." 

"I see" I walked past him and with my back to him I shut my eyes tightly wishing I had left as soon as he pulled me out here. I didn't want to hear this for many reasons the most obvious being I had now officially lost the bet. Once Kathryn found out... 

Turning around suddenly I asked "did you tell her this yet?" 

"No not yet" he sighed "but I think later tonight." 

I snickered "you really are hard up to fuck her aren't' you?" 

His face darkened "it has nothing to do with that." 

"Good because saying 'I love you' won't make her spread her legs any faster." 

Moving closer to me suddenly he demanded "what's your problem? I thought you didn't have a thing for her?" 

"Trust me I don't but we're friends aren't we?" 

Eyeing me suspiciously he remarked "I thought so."  


I nodded "well as your friend I'm going to advise you to think this over before telling her anything." 

Turning around from he suddenly Jackson tossed his arms up in the air in frustration and asked "what is there to think about? I love her." 

I rolled my eyes at him behind his back. What a fucking pussy, I was going to enjoy taking this from him. Something told me it wouldn't be that difficult. "Do you really think you can trust her?" 

Jackson whipped around "excuse me?" 

"Kathryn, does she really seem like the type who will stay faithful. Sure she's acting celibate now but we both know the girl is hardly a virgin. Say you are to tell her you love her, do you have any idea how much power that will give her over you? Once you say it she'll know she has your balls in her pocket so she'll be free to do as she pleases knowing full well that you'll never doubt her fidelity once. Meanwhile while she's out finding amusement else where, you become the butt of everyone's jokes; Jackson Maguire once a legendary player is now a pussy whipped boy toy to some high school chick." Stepping towards him using my most sympathetic face I told him "I would hate to see you humiliated like that. All I'm saying is...consider all your options before making any romantic declarations." 

Jackson had this far away look in his eyes as I spoke to him. I knew then I had him, he wouldn't be making any confessions to Kathryn. Not now anyway and perhaps not until after the summer. Long after I collected my winnings. 

Glancing away to the busy street below he muttered distractedly "maybe you have a point. Maybe I'm rushing things a bit." 

"Perhaps" 

"And as much as I love her...I'm not sure I can trust her." 

Edging my way back towards the door I called out "well I have to be getting back to the party. Think about what I said." 

He looked back at me with a fallen face, "yeah I will. Thanks Valmont." 

Stepping back inside I nearly laughed at how easy that was. Now I had Jackson scared shitless about committing to Kathryn, hell he might even break up with her after my little speech. Then perhaps things would return to normal. 

Once again I attempted to make my way to the bar but once again I felt someone grab my arm. "Sweet fucking Christ what now?" I snarled as I turned my head back to find Kathryn. "Oh, what do you want? I just left your boyfriend-" 

"I know" she interrupted "we need to talk." 

"First I need a-" 

"Now" she hissed grabbing me with surprising force and dragging me out of the room to the empty foyer. When the door closed behind us on the party I snickered "you're certainly grabby all of a sudden." 

Kathryn pulled away from me, as she looked anxiously around. "What were you and Jackson talking about?" 

"Why is it any of your concern?" 

"Quit fucking around Sebastian" she hissed. "Did he tell you?" 

"Tell me what?" 

I could tell she was trying to keep her temper down but it wasn't working. "Is he in love with me?" 

"What makes you think we were talking about that?" 

She let out a frustrated tell as she stamped her heal against the marble floor. "Ugh! Sebastian for once just give me a straight answer. Please, did he tell you he loves me?" 

My eyes shot down to the ground then up to the ceiling, anywhere but at her face. When I wouldn't look at her she grabbed me by the face, forcing me to stare her in the eye. I pulled away from her and sighed "he doesn't love you." 

It's strange but I'm not sure where the lie came from, I hadn't planned it. I wasn't going to answer her at all but then an image of her and Jackson together popped into my brain and I couldn't take it. There was just no way I would let them be together, no matter how much it hurt her. 

I walked past her, pretending to be fascinated by the sculpture against the wall as a long silence fell between us. Finally Kathryn called out to me in a voice that was so vulnerable it seemed like it was another person speaking, "did he tell you that?" 

"Yes he did, I asked him point blank and his exact words were" I swallowed hard telling myself this was a necessary lie and she would get over it. "I don't love her or anybody else. He said I don't believe in it Sebastian. It's an emotion only for the weak." 

"Really" was all she said. 

Turning back around I found her staring towards the ground her eyes wide. I realized them she was trying not to cry and I suddenly felt sick. _Get it together you pussy_, I told myself, _this is necessary_. 

It had been so easy to lie to Jackson, fun even but this was difficult and it hurt. I wasn't even sure why it hurt so much, why I felt like my heart was breaking instead of hers. "Kathryn I-" 

"Don't" she said holding up her hand as she at last looked me in the face. "There's nothing left to say, you were right, okay. You were right all along." With a sigh she let out a short humorless laugh, "I guess you won the bet." 

I shrugged "well not yet. We still have till the end of the summer." 

"Sebastian" she sighed "if he doesn't feel anything for me now, a few weeks won't change anything." 

"I suppose you're right" 

Kathryn nodded and started to walk out the way we came in, "you should get back to the party." 

"Kathryn" I called out but she ignored me and went back inside. 

The feeling of triumph I had experienced a few moments earlier suddenly disappeared and was filled with remorse for what I just done. No matter how much I told myself that hurting Kathryn was the smart thing to do I still felt like a prick. 

Reluctantly I marched back into the party and this time I successfully made it to the bar. Ordering a scotch neat, I proceeded to gulp it down and then order another with the hope of burning the image of a heartbroken Kathryn from my brain. The second drink I sipped slower and as I turned on the bar stool I looked among the crowd and spotted Jackson talking up an attractive older woman. Kathryn was on the other side of the party, sandwiched between two society ladies, staring glumly at Jack. Looking back at my drink I muttered "well done Valmont." 

I wasn't sure how long I sat there drinking and avoiding anyone who approached me, but soon enough someone came up to me who wasn't about to be ignored. Mrs. Agnes, one of my mothers older assistance, must have been a drill sergeant in her younger days or possibly a prison guard. With her hard face and a no bullshit attitude she came up beside me and ordered "your parents want you at the front of the room beside them for the toast." 

"I'm good thank you" 

"Now, Mr. Valmont or I will have to tell the bartender what your real age is." 

Rolling my eyes I got to my feat, "fine, fine I'm coming." 

I followed her obediently to the front of the ballroom where my parents where gathered. Standing beside them I watched as my father gave my mother an affectionate peck on the cheek before turning to the microphone, "can I have everyone's attention." 

Slowly the room began to simmer down and when it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop he started up again. "I would just like to thank everyone for joining us tonight to celebrate this most special of occasions. Olivia and I have been married twenty years now and as you all know in these times that is quite the accomplishment." 

This was met by a light chuckle from the crowd and a sneer by me. With a smug smile my father continued on "I knew when I married this beautiful woman all those years ago I would love her for the rest of my life and there would never be anyone else for me. There isn't a woman alive that can touch my Olivia's grace, beauty or intelligence. She is my heart and my soul and I will love and honor her till death do us part." 

With that the crowd let out a collective, "aww!" 

"Now I believe my son Sebastian wanted to say a few words. Son why don't you come up here" my father said with a proud, arrogant grin on his face. 

I knew this was the part where I was suppose to go and make a few jokes, wish my parents well but I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to stand up there and spout a bunch of inane bullshit, besides I had done enough lying for one night. Glancing coldly at my father I snarled rather loudly "blow me," and walked out of the room amid a few gasps and plenty of stares. 

Okay, I'll admit it was a little melodramatic but apparently I have a flare for it. Charging into the nearby study where I knew my father kept a full bar I went inside making sure to close the door behind me. I was in there all of ten seconds before the door flew back open and my mother stormed inside. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded. 

I simply sighed as I proceeded to pour a drink. Holding up one of her crystal classes I offered "scotch mother?" 

She angrily yanked the bottle from my hand and hissed "do you have any idea how much you've embarrassed me and your father tonight? All of our friends are out there, including the mayor! I have over looked some of your stunts in the past but you went too far this time, now I want an explanation right now!" 

"Why don't you ask dad for one" I spat as I slumped down on the leather couch. 

"What's that suppose to mean?" 

"I wasn't about to stand there while he...never mind." 

"Sebastian" she sighed impatiently "what are you trying to say? What has your father done this time?" 

"I think you mean whom" I grumbled to myself thinking my mother hadn't heard. 

Apparently though she did because this strange look came over her face and she asked more irritated than upset, "is she here?" 

Blinking back my confusion I asked "who?" 

"Cindy, or Marie or whoever his latest conquest is. I know he wouldn't invite her here, the little tart must have shown up on her own." She sighed "really it's in such bad taste." 

My head started to spin, perhaps it was from the alcohol or all the shit that had already gone down that night, but no I was pretty sure it was because of what my mother just said. Rising to my feet quickly I exclaimed "wait, you know? You know about dad and his-" 

"Shh" she whispered placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Keep your voice down, who knows if one of those vultures are lurking about and yes of course I know. You don't stay married to a man for twenty years and not know all of his secrets." 

"How long?" I whispered. 

"Let's put it this way, on our honeymoon he became good friends with the hotel maid." 

"What?!" I roared throwing her hand off me. "I don't understand, how could you stay with him if he cheated on you? Why would you want to?" 

"Because I love him Sebastian" she replied as if it was the most simplest thing in the world. "I knew exactly who your father was when I agreed to marry him. He's a flirt, just like you are." 

"No!" I yelled "I am nothing like him!" Even as I said it I knew it was a lie. As sickening as it was I was very much my fathers son. I lied and screwed over woman just to get what I wanted. Look what I did to Kathryn, I destroyed her all so I could get her into bed. It was just like something he would do. 

Turning away from my mother my head reeled with this new information. "Sebastian" she said softly coming up behind me. "I know this is hard to deal with." 

"Don't" I ordered her. "Just leave me alone." 

Unable to look back at her I left the room not sure where I was headed. I still had a full glass of scotch in my hand but I didn't want to go back to the party. Right now all I wanted to do was go to bed and forget this night ever happened. On my way up the back stairs I over heard some giggling coming from the shadows. Stopping briefly in my tracks I looked over and spotted Jack and the older woman from earlier making out. As I resumed my climb up the stairs I mused that finding out I was exactly like the one man I truly despised must have been karma's way of kicking me in the balls for all the lies I told tonight. Oh well, C' est La Vie, time to get wasted. 

When I reached the top I headed down the hall only to find I wasn't alone. Kathryn was coming up the opposite staircase and when she spotted me she stopped momentarily before approaching me. As we walked towards one another she called out, "I was wondering where you ran off to." 

"Were you looking for me? I'm flattered" I hadn't meant it to come out as nasty as it did but at the moment I wasn't really in the mood to snarl with her. 

"You should be" she responded in a voice that was almost flirty but not quite. Taking my drink from me she sipped it then walked past me to my bedroom. "That was a nice speech you gave by the way" she called over her shoulder. 

Following after her I grumbled "thanks." 

"Short, sweet, straight to the point, and I'm pretty sure it summed up how the rest of us were feeling." She snickered "your father is such a prick." 

"I tend to agree." Sitting back on my bed I watched Kathryn closely trying to figure out what she was up to. It had been awhile since we'd carried on a conversation without snarling at one another. I might have thought she was drunk but no she looked as sober as ever. 

As she leaned against my desk, her eyes fixed on me she asked "so what happened with your mother?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"I saw her follow you out." 

Normally I would keep the events of what transpired between me and my mother to myself, especially with how things were between Kathryn and me lately but I had this nag to confide in someone. With a dark chuckle I revealed "well it turns out you were right. My mother was very much aware of my fathers infidelities. Apparently she has been for quite some time, but that's not even the best part. I came to the realization tonight that I am exactly like my father. An arrogant, philandering asshole. I use to pride myself on that so much but now, I've realized just how pathetic it is." 

"I see" Kathryn sighed. "So is that why you came up here, to brood and drown your sorrows." 

"I'm trying to but somebody stole my glass." 

She smiled tenderly at me as she took a small sip and walked towards the bed. "Isn't it funny that on the same night you find out you're just like your dad, I find out Jackson never loved me." 

Grabbing the glass out of her hand I drawled "yeah that's a barrel of fucking laughs Kathryn." 

"I think I might know something that will make you feel better" she offered suddenly straddling my lap. "Actually it will probably make both of us feel better." 

More interested in my drink at that moment than the fact that she was sitting on my lap, I asked "what's that?" 

Kathryn pulled the drink out of my hand and then promptly dropped it on the floor causing the crystal to shatter everywhere. Staring down at it then back at her I was about to demand that she march her ass back downstairs and get me another one when she suddenly grabbed me by the back of the head and crushed her lips to mine. 

I was so taken aback I could barely respond. When I at last caught up with her she pulled away from me breathless. Running my tongue across my bottom lip I asked "what are you doing?" 

"Isn't there a matter of a wager that needs to be settled?" she whispered coyly 

My eyebrows shot up in surprise at what she was offering. Still smarting from the last time she toyed with me sexually I asked "you want to..." 

Leaning into me she started planting soft kisses on my neck and moving her backside slowly against my front. "I want you inside me" she murmured. "You won the bet and I want you to take me. Please Sebastian..." 

When I heard her practically whimper my name I could no longer hold back or think of a reasonable reason to stop this. Pulling her face from my neck I quickly drew her mouth to mine. She eagerly returned the kiss and we fell tangled together back into the bed. As we quickly undressed one another I knew then nothing between us would ever be the same again. 

~ _The Present_ ~ 

"There's nothing left to say" she sighed looking away from me. 

Turning on my side I forced her to look at me, "I beg to differ." 

Kathryn yanked her face from my touch and quickly sat up. Climbing out of the bed she didn't bother to hide her nakedness, we had long ago past the point of modesty. "This was a mistake" she told me, stalking around the room. 

"A mistake?" I repeated incredulously. "Correct me if I'm wrong baby but wasn't it you who initiated this?"  


"Yes and it was a mistake." 

Getting up out of bed I grabbed her dress before she could get to it. When she spotted it in my hand she tried to get it from me but I kept it out of reach. "Didn't you have fun? Look me in the eye and tell me that wasn't the best it's ever been for you?" When Kathryn's eyes darted to the floor I knew I had my answer. "I knew it." 

"I love Jackson, Sebastian. No amount of sex, no matter how good it is will change that" she snapped. 

Even though I knew it to be a lie I told her "he doesn't love you." 

Kathryn shook her head "it doesn't matter, I love him." 

"God you're just like my mother" I snarled in disgust. 

"And you're just like your father." 

I flinched at that and Kathryn used the opportunity to take her dress from me. As she slid it back on she started to cross the room when she yelled out, "ow! Oh fuck!" 

Striding over to her I steadied her as she picked up her foot and saw a thin stream on blood trickle down. She had stepped in the crystal she broke earlier. "Let me get you a Band-Aid" I told her as I attempted to guide her to the bathroom. 

"No" she replied pulling away from me. "I'll be fine." 

"Kathryn please don't go!" I pleaded. If you had told me twenty four hours ago that I would be pleading with Kathryn for anything I would have said you were out of your god damn mind but things had changed. The world as I knew it had changed. 

However my pleas no matter how pathetic they were, fell on deaf ears. Kathryn ran from the room, closing the door tightly behind her. Once alone I sank back against the bed in defeat. In that moment another startling revelation came upon me. As it turned out I had a heart after all. I knew this because I could feel it breaking. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	8. Mr Valmont's Wild Ride

Trip On Love 

Summary: Sebastian attempts to put some distance between himself and Kathryn but it only leads him to trouble...and back to Kathryn. 

Chapter 8: Mr. Valmont's Wild Ride 

I should have seen this coming. Then again maybe I wasn't really that blind to it. Even three years ago when I first met her outside of Richard Carmichaels sixteenth birthday party I knew she was different. No amount of bullshit or droll little comments about her beauty would persuade her into my bed or any other place she didn't want to go. That alone separated her from all the rest and made her desirable to me. 

Desire though is a double edged sword, it truly is a weakness and if you give in to it, it can potentially slice you in half. This is why I knew going to bed with Kathryn would be the death of me. I knew it three years ago when I stood out in the cold sharing a cigarette with her and I sure as well knew it now as I hung off the balcony watching her kiss another man. I knew it would ruin me but I did it all the same. Consider me sliced and diced. 

In all fairness to myself however, I wasn't actually hanging off the balcony. No I was simply standing their, calm and collective like, puffing on my fifteenth cigarette of the day, pretending only to be only half interested in the happenings down below. Still I was out there none the less. That fact alone elevated me to a level of patheticness that was foreign to the once suave Valmont. A legend perhaps only in his own mind. 

I think if Kathryn was aware of the torment she has been inflicting on me over the past few days she would laugh herself silly. To know the former playboy of the upper east side was recording her every move, slipping into her bedroom at night to watch her sleep, sitting alone in his room at night so lonely for her he sometimes had to resort to jerking off. Worse yet afraid to look her majesty in the eye for fear he might spout out some romantic declaration that neither of them was prepared to handle. Morning, noon and night I was haunted by images of our night together. Images, that when watching her slip her tongue down another man's throat would slowly propel me to go insane. 

Then again the more I think about it, the more it occurs to me that Kathryn is aware of all of this. Perhaps it wasn't really I who was avoiding her but rather the other way around. She hadn't really spoken to me outside of the occasional, "tell your mother I won't be at dinner." Never anything more than that. Our once quick banter now diminished to a few boring sentences. Huh, I guess sex really does change things. 

They've been making out now for the past ten minutes. Kathryn dressed in a silky red dress, her hair down and whipping in the breeze, has her arms wrapped tightly around Jackson who's crushing her small body up against his gray BMW. I don't think I can hate him any more than I do in that moment. It's not just because he has his hands all over her so much as I've become jealous of him. I hate that he's made me jealous. 

Eventually they pull apart and I take the final drag on my cigarette. All this nicotine is starting to make me a little nauseous, so I think that it's a good time to finally do something. As Jackson gets back in his car and drives away, Kathryn comes back inside and after a moment or two I hear the familiar sound of her feels clicking against the marble floor. Knowing she'll pass by any moment I have to decide quickly if I should hide back in the shadows or make my presence known. It's tempting to just stay out on the balcony but I've had enough watching for one evening. It's time to join the game. 

I step back into the west wing sitting room just a sliver of a second before Kathryn appears. She doesn't see me at first or if she does she's ignoring me. No I think I was right with my first estimation for she has a secretive smile on her face as she strides across the room. She's off in her own little world but not for long. "How was your date?" 

I'll admit not one of my best opening lines but it gets her attention. She stops at the sound of my voice and stands with her back to me a moment before pivoting on her heels. When Kathryn faces me she is calm and collective, and she tells me flatly in a tone that almost makes me believe she's been practicing for this moment. "It was good, great even." 

"Great even" I repeat as I purposely avoid her eyes. Instead I casually reach back and stroke my fingers along the piano keys creating the allusion that I'm only somewhat interested in what she has to say. "What could you and my_ best friend_ have possibly been doing this evening that was so great?" 

"What do you think?" she asks in a teasing tone, that is seductive as much as it is malicious. 

My fingers slip from the keys and I have to contain the urge to slam my fist down onto them as hard as I can. Kathryn's baiting me I realize, using the one image that has been haunting me all night to her advantage. The idea that she finally fucked Jackson is one that I'd been trying to ignore for days and yet it was inescapable. Would she jump into his bed as soon as the bet ended? Not necessarily, I told myself and certainly not after we shared that amazing night together. Then again judging by that superior look on her face I was probably wrong. 

Yes I was finally staring at her and trying my damnedest to hold back any sort of emotion. "You fucked him?" I spat. 

She strides up to me, now smirking and replied "I don't believe that is any of your concern Valmont. Our wager is over and I'm free to do what I please." 

"Or whom" I note bitterly. Reaching out I touch her face and let my fingers caress her soft skin. "So how was he baby?" I coo softly. "Was he everything you imagined? Did he make you completely forget our night together?" 

As I ask the last question I slowly lean in to kiss her but right before I can she jumps away from me. "Knock it off" Kathryn warns all confidence now gone from her face. 

"What's the matter?" I ask stepping towards her. "Afraid you won't be able to stop yourself?" 

Her eyes flash dangerously as she's pressed up against one of my mothers plush chairs. "Did you have a brain tumor for breakfast? What happened between us Sebastian was just sex. Meaningless, mediocre, fucking. For you to think it was anything more than that is laughable not to mention pathetic." 

Looking away from her I swallow hard before asking "has Jackson told you he loves you?" 

"Not yet" 

I lift my head and look her in the eye as I sneer "then I guess I'm not the only pathetic one." 

Her coldness breaks then and she moves away from me. "Fuck you" Kathryn mutters before charging out of the room. 

Watching her leave I realize the time has come for me to let go of this latest fixation. Nothing good will come of it and I certainly won't get what I want. The thing to do was put at much space between Kathryn and myself as possible. 

****** 

It's of the common consensus that if you want to forget one woman you sometimes need the assistance of another. It was with that thought I ended up on Charlotte's doorstep. While in New York the movie studio was putting her up at the Waldorf hotel in a nice suite. I had been there a few times but not lately which is why when she opened the door she looked rather surprised to see me. "Mr. Valmont" she purred. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" 

I leered at her, "can I come in?"  


Tilting her head she thought about it only half a second before moving aside, "sure." Closing the door behind me I followed her into the living room. "Would you like a drink?" she called over her shoulder. 

"Yeah, great" I muttered distractedly. I took in her shapely form covered only by a silver robe. With the way she looked and moved around the small space I knew I wouldn't have to work at getting hard which was a small relief. 

Charlotte handed me a drink and as she rolled an ice cube around in her mouth she asked, "so what are you really doing here Valmont?" 

I won't bother you with the specifics of our small talk. Needless to say it was the usual bullshit about her career and our various friends, except of course Jackson. We both carefully avoided the topic of her ex and his new girlfriend. Given that, it didn't take long for us to run out of things to say to one another. It was glaringly apparent why I had come so without further ado we got down to business. 

We hadn't made it all the way to the bedroom but rather we started making out on the couch. Pushing Charlotte down onto the sofa I spread her knees apart and we were soon dry humping as we kissed. Not necessarily passionately but more going through the motions until we got to the good part. 

Seeing as she really was wearing only that silver robe all I had to do was rip that off while she fumbled to get my pants off. I helped her by shoving them only down to my knees, making sure not to fall off the small couch in the meantime. When at last I finally pushed into her, I began thrusting at an easy pace enjoying the way it felt to be inside her. The two of us worked up to a good rhythm and at that point I had just about pushed all memories of my last sexual encounter out of my head. 

Then I made a crucial mistake. Just as I could feel my orgasm fast approaching I bent down and started kissing her neck. As I did so Charlotte's sparking diamond earring caught my attention and suddenly I had a flashback. Fucking Kathryn, being on top of her as she mewed in pleasure much like Charlotte was doing now. I had started kissing her neck when I noticed those same earrings. Suddenly my mind couldn't seem to function separately from the memory. Kissing her skin I groaned, "oh god...Kathryn..." 

Somewhere in the back on my mind I heard Charlotte's voice, "what did you say?" 

I ignored her though in favor of living in the fantasy. "Kathryn, Kathryn" I called out as my thrusting became more urgent. 

"Stop it" Charlotte ordered as she began to squirm underneath me in an attempt to get away. Only at this point there was no stopping me. When she started to try and push me off of her I absentmindedly grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the couch. "Sebastian" she half groaned, half yelled "stop calling me that!" 

For some reason even though Charlotte was screaming at me I still had little trouble pretending the girl underneath me was Kathryn. Gripping her wrists even tighter I bit her skin and moaned "I'm close baby...almost there...Kathryn..." 

Two more thrusts and I came, buried inside the wrong girl. I collapsed against her heaving chest, feeling empty and sort of cold even though her body was warm. I didn't have much time to contemplate what happened because almost immediately after I came Charlotte sneered "you son of a bitch." 

"Charlotte, I'm-" 

With more force than I would have expected from this small girl, she pushed me off of her and on to the floor. "Get the fuck out" she ordered. 

Lifting myself up I simply nodded at her. Yeah that was probably a good idea. 

****** 

_BANG!, BANG!, BANG!_

"Come on Tuttle open the god damn door!" I yelled pounding on his bedroom door. Seeing as Blaine's parents where once again out of town I wasn't terribly worried about causing a scene and at the moment I didn't really care what or whom Blaine was doing. 

He was screwing someone senseless given the moans that were coming from the other side of the door. "Get bent Valmont" he called to me or rather moaned to me. 

"Open the fucking door or so help I'll break it down and-" 

Before I could finish my threat the door shot open and Blaine appeared wearing only his boxers and a anxious expression. "Wwwwwhhhhhaaaaaaaaatttttt?" he wined 

"I need something" I explained. 

"I'm not in the mood for vague requests right now Sebastian" he told me gesturing to his erection. "What EXACTLY are you after?" 

I rolled my eyes in frustration, "you're a drug dealer. Why else would I be at your door in the middle of the night?" 

Nodding his head in understanding Blaine replied, "okay, okay go wait downstairs. I'll get you something but so help me Valmont this is going to cost you extra." 

"Whatever" I grumbled already heading down to the living room. 

Sitting in the dark I contemplated what I was doing. Generally I wasn't that big on drug use, strictly recreational only. However I was really starting to believe I was losing my mind. I needed something, even if it was chemical, to take my mind away from the mess my life had become. Alcohol just wasn't going to do it. 

A few minutes later Blaine came trotting down the stairs still in his boxers. "Valmont?" he called out into the darkened room. "Why are you sitting in the dark." 

"Never mind, did you bring it?" 

"Yeah" he said turning on a lamp to show me the small clear bag of white powder. "Okay I just got this in, it's coke and it's suppose to be good. Now I haven't tried it out myself but the guy I got it off of warned me do only one line at a time. You take more than that, you'll bouncing off the walls, got it?" 

"Right" I replied quickly, grabbing for the baggy. 

Blaine held it out of my reach, "where my money?" Reaching into my coat I pulled out a few hundred and handed them to him then grabbed the product from his hand. Smiling down at the money Blaine murmured "pleasure doing business with you." 

"Have a nice night" I called over my shoulder as I headed for the door. 

"Wait Valmont, um, is something wrong? I mean you don't usually..." 

I didn't bother to stop and listen to what he was saying to me. Frankly I was in no mood to talk about anything. I just needed to feel...something else. Getting into my jag I slid the keys into the ignition and then poured a little of the cocaine onto the dashboard. Separating into a few small lines I hesitated only a moment before leaning down to inhale. After the first line by nose began to twitch and burn at the familiar sensation but I wanted more. I wanted much more. 

****** 

I think I was starting to realize why my dear Kathryn coveted her nose candy so much now. A few hours after I left Blaine's I was feeling absolutely no pain just this beautiful release. I felt freer than I had all summer or perhaps my entire life. No agonizing over Kathryn or Jackson or my god forsaken parents. No sur-EE! 

In fact I felt so good that when I at last arrived home I decided to go find Kathryn and share my wonderful news with her. It took me a little while to find her door, perhaps she had it moved? No I found it and the door opened easily. Pushing it open with both hands I stumbled in and called out into the darkness, "oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh, KKKaaattttthhhhhhrrrrrrryyyynn!!" 

At the sound of her name she sprang to wake immediately. "Sebastian?" she called out sounding groggy. "What the hell..."  


"Hey baby, get up, get up!" I urged shaking her small form. 

Kathryn pushed me off of her "quit shaking me asshole! What's wrong with you? It's four in the god damn morning, what the hell do you think you're doing in my room at this hour?" 

"Nothing is wrong with me!" I exclaimed tossing my arms out. "I feel sooooooo amazing, soooooo free and it's all because of you!" I felt so giddy I started to sing the last word as Kathryn gave me the strangest look. 

"Sebastian" she called out. "Sebastian...oh god you're on something aren't you?" Crawling to the edge of the bed she grabbed me suddenly by the face, and may I add rather rudely, and stared in my face. Her emerald eyes looking back and forth between my own she demanded "shit, what did you take?" 

Reaching into my coat I fished around my pockets and found the now empty plastic baggy. Dangling in front of her face I laughed "all gone. Sorry none left to share." 

Kathryn pulled the bag from my hand and I crawled onto her big, comfortable bed. "You took coke didn't you?" she sighed. 

"Yep!" I grinned at her like a little boy. 

"The whole bag?" 

"Yep!" Reaching out I began to play with a strand of her dark hair. "Your hair is so soft." 

Pushing my hands away she began snapping her fingers in front of my face. "Hey, pay attention, Sebastian what else did you take?" 

Trying to grab her hand I laughed at how serious she looked. Always so serious, she never laughs. When she repeated her question I said "nothing, really. Just a little, itty, bitty bit of vodka."  


"Damnit! You stupid fuck" she muttered. Still laughing at her I reached out for her but my hand landed on her breast. Smiling I gave it a squeeze until Kathryn yanked it away. "Knock it off" she ordered slapping my face. 

Annoyed with how she was acting I smacked her back. "Ow! Okay that's it get out" she ordered getting off of the bed. 

"Pft" I huffed sitting up. "Fine I don't need you! I don't care about you ANYMORE! You hear me, no more!" There she went giving me that strange look again. Shaking my head at her I stormed out of her room, into...the outside?" 

"Sebastian" she called after me "what are you doing? Get back inside" 

"Stop ordering me around! You're not the boss of me bitch!" 

"Shh!" Kathryn whispered "be quiet, someone will hear you." 

"I don't care! Do you care Kathryn? Huh, do you care about me?' 

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms to her chest, "you're completely out of it. Just come inside and go to bed before you say something you'll regret." 

I waved my hand at her and spun around. Looking around I realized for the first time I was outside, how did that happen? It didn't matter, all I cared about was showing Kathryn that she couldn't tell me what to do. I would show her. 

Climbing onto a small metal table I used it to step onto the edge of the balcony. I looked up at the night sky and all the twinkling stars and then back down at the street, so far away. "Look how high up we are" I told her. 

"Sebastian! Sebastian get down right now before you fall!" 

I pivoted around to face her. My Kathryn looked so small as she stood before me, trying to grab my hand. "What would you do if I fell? Would you try to save me?" 

"Let's not find out okay? Please just give me your hand and come down. We can go back to my room and lay down." 

I leered at her, "can we fuck?" 

She smirked "not when you're like this." 

Holding my arms out I picked up one of my feet and began to balance. Humming "twinkle, twinkle little star" I asked her, "do you have any coke?" 

"Stop it!" she pleaded. "Please I'll give you anything you want just come down from there." 

Kathryn reached out and grabbed my arm and before I could protest she pulled me to the ground. That hurt even though I landed on her. She let out a shriek and I grumbled "why did you do that?" 

"You're going to get yourself killed!" she hissed pushing me off of her and getting to her feet. "Now stand up and get your ass in the house." 

"Okay, okay just stop yelling" I told her as I started to stand up only something must have been wrong with the ground. I couldn't seem to stand, it was too slippery. My hand knocked something over as I tried to stand up and catch my footing. "Just give me a second, I'll be right there." 

"Of good god" she sighed grabbing me once again by the arm. "I'm going to kill Blaine for this." 

With my arm around her neck I got to my feet and started walking into the room. My vision was starting to get weird but I could smell something nice, like lilacs. Bending my head down I smell her hair. "You smell nice I told her." 

Just then I heard something knocking. I thought it in my head until Kathryn hissed, "what now?" 

"Kathryn? Baby it's me, open up" Jackson's voice rang out. 

"Oh shit!" she whispered dropping me down onto the bed. "Fuck! He can't see you here!" 

"Why not? Are you embarrassed by me? Come on let the fucker in! I'll tell him-" 

Suddenly Kathryn was kissing me, her mouth pressing eagerly on mine. I moaned in surprise but quickly wrapped my arms around her body, pulling her down on top of me. Breaking away she whispered "be quiet!" 

I grinned, even feeling as I did I still knew how to milk a situation for all it was worth. "What do I get if I do?" 

"I'll give you a treat" she whispered huskily in my ear. "Just stay in the bed and be quiet, all right?" 

"Deal" 

Kathryn nodded and quickly scampered to the door. Tilting my head I looked back and saw her open the door, Jackson was on the other side. They were talking softly I couldn't hear them but I did see when he pulled her out into the hall and started to kiss her. Fucker had his hands all over MY Kathryn. Now that I just wouldn't stand for. Already forgetting the promise I made to her I started to get off the bed only...I couldn't seem to make my legs work. Slumping over on my side I watched as she pushed him away laughing. Yeah, now she's laughing. 

"You have to leave" she whispered to him. "I need my sleep." 

He said something to her and she shook her head, obviously alarmed. "No you can't, Jackson you can't go in his room!" 

Huh? Who's room was he going in? Asshole had to get out of my house. I'd kick him out, soon as I could walk. 

"You said he wasn't home" he whispered back to her. 

"But his parents are and you don't want them to catch you. Please just do it later!" Kathryn pleaded. 

They were bickering, fighting over something but I couldn't figure out what. Were they talking about me? I didn't understand and suddenly I didn't feel so good. Groaning I rolled over onto my back, clutching my stomach although that didn't hurt. I felt weird and sleepy but I was desperately trying to figure out what they were discussing. 

The bedroom door suddenly closed again and as I looked up I saw Kathryn coming towards me in the dark. Sitting beside me she asked "are you okay?" 

"No, not really" I murmured. "What were you and Mr. Stud talking about?" 

"Did you hear us?" 

"Sort of" I replied closing my eyes. "Where did he want to go?" 

Kathryn sighed as she moved over me. "Nowhere, just forget about it. Go to sleep Sebastian" 

Reaching out I touched her soft hair and whimpered "sleep with me." 

"Okay" she replied, sounding like she was laughing as she said it. Her small body than curled up around mine and she rested her head in the crook of my arm. I liked that, the way she felt laying almost in my arms. That was sort of what I imagined it felt like. 

"Sebastian why did you do this?" 

I was asleep before I could give her an answer. 

****** 

There were some days when it was great to be alive. This was not one of those days. I awoke with my head throbbing so badly that putting a bullet through it seemed a viable option. "Ugh" I groaned rolling myself over. I didn't really know where I was or how I got there and frankly at the moment I didn't much care. All I wanted was for someone to shoot me and put me out of my misery. 

"Morning sunshine" came the deadpan voice to my left. 

Removing my arm from over my eyes I slowly began trying to open them. It took a little while but when I did I was greeted by the sight of Kathryn kneeling over me. "What the fuck?" I mumbled. 

"Indeed" she grumbled. 

Having absolutely no memory for the previous night I stared at her rather confused, but she didn't elaborate. Finally I tried to pull myself up to a sitting position, a task that proved rather difficult given my head felt as if it weighted a hundred pounds. "Oh god" I groaned clutching my forehead. "What the hell?" 

"Yeah that's what I was wondering at about four a.m. when you came barreling into my room." 

"What? Was I...what did I take?" 

Running a hand through her hair she sighed "vodka and coke. It wasn't pretty" 

I eyed her dubiously, "was it that bad?" 

"Well you did threaten to jump off of my balcony while singing "twinkle, twinkle little star" but aside from that..." 

"Oh god" I sighed sitting up a little. Actually come to think of it I was rather glad I didn't recall that memory. The last thing I could remember was getting thrown out of Charlotte's for calling her Kathryn. Then...everything else was a bit of a blur. 

"Take these, drink this" Kathryn instructed handing me a few aspirin's and a large glass of something green. 

"What is this?" 

With a knowing smirk she advised me, "don't ask, just drink. It will make you feel better." 

Even though whatever it was looked far from appetizing I was willing to digest anything that would help my pounding headache go away. Downing the pills I followed it with a large gulp of the green stuff that tasted very much like raw eggs. Holding it down as best I could I drank most of it and set the cup down. As I did I noticed Kathryn watching me, with a look of amusement. I smiled at her, "thanks." 

"You're welcome" she said putting the breakfast tray to the side. "Although you totally don't deserve it." 

"How did I end up in your bed?" I asked raising my eyebrows suggestively at her. "Did we...?" 

Kathryn snickered "you wish. Believe me Valmont, molesting you was the last thing on my mind last night." 

Reaching over I slid my hand over hers, "too bad. That might have been fun." 

She rolled her eyes at me then laid down beside me on the bed only facing the opposite way. "You were completely out of it" she explained. "You just needed a place to crash." 

"Was that all?" 

"Yes" 

"Then why won't you look at me?" 

"Because I'm tired" 

Reaching out I gently caressed her bare arm and her body acted accordingly, shivering just slightly under my touch. When she didn't make a move to stop me I moved my hand down further to her bare leg, moving her slip of a nightgown upwards. Kathryn hand came up to stop me, "don't." 

"Are you worried Jackson will find out?" I whispered in her ear. "Or are you afraid you won't be able to stop yourself?"  


"I'm in complete control of myself" she snickered. "Unlike some people." 

"I'd like to test that theory." Cupping her face I pulled her towards me and kissed her. I was actually rather surprised at how eagerly she received me, then again maybe she was just trying to prove her point. Either way I wasn't about to protest. 

Pushing me on my back, Kathryn suddenly straddled me, the silk of her nightgown sliding up to her waist and exposing the fact that she wasn't wearing any underwear. My eyes opened briefly as we continued to kiss and I moved my hand between her legs. Gently I rubbed my fingers against her folds, finding them slick and moist. Then just as I was starting to push inside of her Kathryn pulled away from me and collapsed on her back. "See" she panted "complete control." 

"You're afraid" I laughed 

Her head resting on the pillow she turned to me and demanded "and you're not?" 

"I have nothing to be afraid of Kathryn" 

She snickered, "right that's why you've been avoiding me these past few days ever since we...I know you sneak into my room at night too. Why do you do it?" 

There really was no simple answer to this question. Well no answer that would not leave her completely freaked out anyway. I needed to say something to her but the only thing I could think of was, "I want you to leave Jackson." 

Kathryn let out a sigh of frustration as she sat up, "what is it with the two of you? Look I love him Sebastian and I know you hate him and-" 

"It has nothing to do with him" I interrupted her. "I want you Kathryn, I want to be with you. Not just this fooling around shit. I want the real thing." 

Her head shot around and she stared at me in surprise. Truth be told I was a little surprised myself that those words came out of my mouth. In my fantasy of how this situation would play out, Kathryn would smile and immediately return the sentiment. In reality however she just scowled at me and said "well it can't happen." 

She started to get out of the bed and I grabbed her hand, "well what will it take to make it happen?" 

"Nothing" she replied flatly as she yanked her hand away and started to cross the room. 

Sitting up I suddenly felt rejuvenized and strangle hopeful at my new mind set. No longer was I going to wallow in the shadows, no from now on I was going to take what I wanted. Before Kathryn could leave I called out to her, "well that's too bad because I'm not giving up?" 

"Oh yes you are" she replied icily. 

"No" I laughed "I'm not. I want you Kathryn. I want to go out on dates, to the opera and to the park. I want to hold you hand, and take you to the prom." As I said all of this her eyes went wide in surprise but it only made me laugh and continue on. "And that's not all. You're the only woman I want to sleep with and the only-"  


"Okay enough" she said charging over to me and placing her finger on my mouth. "Just stop it, because it's never going to happen. I love Jackson and you-you can't change that so don't even bother trying. Now I'm going to get dressed and when I come out you better be gone, understand?" 

"Don't worry I'm gone" I told her getting out of the bed. She seemed to let out a sigh of relief that is until I turned around and gave her a brief but hard kiss on the mouth. Pulling away Kathryn looked up at me sort of dazed and I smiled at her. "By the way thanks for saving my life." 

With a confident smile I strut out of her room, leaving her breathless and dumbfounded in my wake. Walking over to my room I went straight for my phone. I was tired and in definite need of some sleep but there was something I needed to take care of first, because as I was going on my little rant an idea came to me of how to remove Jackson from the picture permanently. 

Flipping through my rolodex I came across a familiar name and grinned. I dialed quickly and waited until a female voice picked up. "Hello?" 

"Good afternoon Mrs. Kovac, this is Sebastian Valmont. I'm calling in regards to a mutual friend..." 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	9. Be Careful What You Wish For

Trip On Love 

Summary: Sebastian puts into motion a devious plan in hopes of breaking up Kathryn and Jackson for good. 

Chapter 9: Be Careful What You Wish For 

Eavesdropping is really an underrated little hobby. Sure it's somewhat morally repugnant, invading one's privacy and all that but how else are you suppose to gain the upper hand? Besides it's my house, I have every right to put my ear to the door of the guest bedroom if I so choose to. 

Still when one of the upstairs maids passed by I made as if I was just loitering in the hall, on the chance that she might blab to Kathryn about my activities. I couldn't risk her getting suspicious, especially if things went as I hoped tonight. If the yelling coming from the other side of the door was any indication, I'd say everything was on schedule. 

"You son of a bitch!" Kathryn screamed "we had plans, plans that you promised me you wouldn't break. AGAIN. It's my birthday for fucks sake!" 

Nice going moron, breaking plans on her birthday of all days. She's likely not to forget this mistake anytime soon. Oh well his loss, my gain. 

"Kathryn, baby, I'm sorry but it can't be helped. I promised my father MONTHS ago that I would go to this meeting. He's trying to land this deal and he thinks by bringing me along they'll be impressed and sign on. I'm obligated to go and you of all people should understand family obligations. This is important- 

"More than me?" 

Leave it to Jackson to create an excuse that gets him out of trouble and strokes his massive ego at the same time. Asshole. Still something told me she wasn't going to let him off the hook just yet. In fact if I knew Kathryn she would let him suffer for a good long time. 

Scrambling to find an excuse Jackson replied "no, it's just- 

"Oh shut up! I don't care anymore. Just get the fuck out!" 

"Wait!" he called out. "Don't you want your birthday gift?" 

There was a long pause before she asked cautiously "what is it?" 

Another long pause followed by the sound of tissue paper and then, BAM! Whatever it was smacked against the door causing me to jump back in surprise. I snickered to myself as I regained my position by the door. It sounded like a small jewelry box. What an amateur. 

"What? You don't like it?" Jackson demanded. 

"It's lovely" Kathryn replied with snide sarcasm. "It will go along with the hundred others I have just like it. Now get out, go to your fucking meeting." 

There was a sigh of defeat from Jackson before he told her, "I'll stop by afterwards. Maybe we can go out for a late dinner or something." 

"Don't do me any favors!" 

When I heard Jackson's approaching footsteps I quickly jolted down the stairs to the first floor parlor and waited for him to pass through. Tossing myself down on to an armchair with a copy of the latest New Yorker, I counted down the seconds until he appeared. "Five, four, three, two..." 

"Spoiled pain in the ass" he muttered to himself as he shuffled past by me completely oblivious that I was even there. 

"Trouble in paradise?" 

Jackson stopped and looked over at me exasperated. "She's acting like a complete brat just because I had to break our plans tonight." 

"Well" I sighed "it is her birthday. You only turn eighteen once." 

"Yes I know" he spat impatiently. "Which is why I bought her this ridiculously expensive diamond bracelet. What does the little bitch do when I give it to her? She tosses it across the fucking room!" 

I had to stifle a snicker at this. That's my girl; always hold out until you get what you really want. Kathryn didn't want diamond trinkets for her birthday; she wanted someone to spend it with. Of course Jackson was too dense to realize this. 

"This meeting is important. I promised my father, she has to understand that." 

Getting to my feet I pretended to ponder this a moment before saying "that's funny I could have sworn your father was in San Francisco with mine with weekend. Or at least that's where they claim to be while there's shacked up in Vegas for three days gambling and groping show girls. I can't believe your father would actually cut all that short just to come to some business meeting." 

I stared Jackson down, indicating that I knew his excuse to Kathryn was bullshit. He stared blankly back at me a moment before rolling his eyes and sighing, "okay fine, there's no meeting." 

"I'm shocked" I snickered sarcastically. "So what are you really up to tonight?" 

He turned away from me then, obviously trying to hide the guilty expression that was covering his face. "I'm going to...God even by my standards this is a shitty thing to do. I'm spending the night with Helena Kovac. You remember her, the slightly older, leggy blond from your parents party." 

"Yeah I know her, she's a friend of my mothers. She's also got to be pushing forty." 

Jackson whipped around, "she's also completely hot!" 

Shaking my head at him I asked, "okay let me get this straight. You're ditching your girlfriend, the one you claim to love, on her birthday of all nights just so you can go live out some Mrs. Robinson fantasy? You're right, this is one of the shittier things you've done." 

"I'm aware okay?" he huffed tossing himself down on the lounger. "But look she's only in town for tonight before she has to head back to Miami and besides which it's not like I'm getting any satisfaction from Kathryn at the moment. I need this. And wasn't it you that said I should check out all my options before getting serious with Kathryn?" 

"I did say that didn't I?" 

"Yes you did" Jackson got to his feat now more calm as he stood before me a pleading man. "Look it's only this once and it's not like Kathryn's ever going to find out about it, right?" 

I pretended to look shocked, "are you insinuating that I would tell her?" 

He looked me over then snickered, "it wouldn't be the first time. I know you two are friends and I just want to make sure you don't decide to get all noble on me, do something stupid like tell her where I really am. Because if you did do something like that the only person it's going to hurt is Kathryn and we both don't want to see that happen do we?" 

I let Jackson's threat go with a simple nod as if I agreed with what he was saying about Kathryn. To a degree I did but I sure as hell wasn't about to let that prevent me from getting what I wanted. When he seemed at ease that I wouldn't say anything to her Jackson once again became pleasant, "so what are your plans tonight?" 

"Oh I have a big date" 

"Really? Anyone I know?" 

"You might have met her before" I hinted vaguely. 

Realizing he wasn't going to get any more info from me he turned to leave, "I have to get going. Helena's plane arrives in a few hours and I want to be ready. See you later Valmont." Looking back at me he gave me a funny look as he said "and enjoy your date." 

When he finally left my smile turned into a smirk and I muttered "oh I plan to." 

Heading back down the hall I stopped in front of Kathryn's bedroom once again. Before raising my fist to knock I removed a white envelope from my jacket and examined the contents briefly with a pleased smile. Rapping gently on her door I waited for her typical pleasant response but instead got, "WHAT?!" 

I grinned actually quite pleased that she was angry. It meant she still hadn't forgiven Jackson and therefor she might be in a rather agreeable mood. Opening the door I found Kathryn reclining back on her bed, a hard expression on her face as she twirled the diamond bracelet around her finger. "Bad time?" I quipped. 

She tossed me an annoyed expression, "what do you want?" 

"I just came to wish you happy birthday" I explained taking a seat across from her on the bed. Taking the bracelet from her hand I examined it with little interest. "Was this Jackson's gift? Such a paltry consolation prize for not getting to spend such a special day with the person you supposedly love." 

Kathryn raised an eyebrow and smirked "eavesdropping again Sebastian? Such a pathetic little hobby." 

"I didn't need to eavesdrop, the whole house could hear you screeching at him" I sneered tossing Jackson's gift carelessly aside. "Besides your boyfriend filled me in about his...plans." 

She regarded me suspiciously as I said that last word. Sitting up Kathryn studied me a moment as she asked "what are you trying to get at?" 

"Nothing" 

Slowly her hard expression melted into a cool look of indifference. "Still trying to persuade me away from Jackson? Only you would be stupid enough to think that by dropping a few Iago like comments I would suddenly jump to the conclusion that Jack was cheating on me. Well say what you want but it won't make a bit of difference. No matter what you think I know he loves me and he certainly would never cheat on me, especially not on my birthday." 

Oh how tempted I was to wipe that superior look off her face with the knowledge of what her boyfriend was really up to tonight. However if I did it would throw quite a wrench into my plans so instead I simply snickered equally coldly, "fine believe what you want. I was going to give you your birthday gift but since you're obviously not interested maybe I'll go find someone who is." 

As soon as I stood up I felt her arm reach out and grab hold of my jacket. "Wait" she said "you got me a gift? I don't see anything." 

Looking down at her I slowly took the envelope from my jacket and then handed it to her. Kathryn regarded it curiously a moment before peaking inside. When she pulled out the two thick pieces of paper she grinned up at me like a little girl "tickets to the opera?" 

I nodded "yes, box seats as well. Happy birthday Kathryn." 

With an excited little squeal that sounded so strange coming out of her mouth Kathryn threw her arms around my neck and pulled me back down to the bed. Seemingly completely oblivious to the situation we were in she happily hugged me, nuzzling her face against my neck. I couldn't help but laugh, "I take it you're pleased then?" 

"Very" she cooed. "Oh I can't wait to tell Jackson. He's never been to the opera before..." 

My face went dark and I rolled my eyes at this but still continued to embrace her. Finally I replied "actually that might be a problem. The tickets are for tonight." 

Slowly she pulled away from me "what? Tonight?!" 

"Well yes I got them assuming you would want to go on your birthday" 

"Yes but Jackson is busy tonight" 

I grinned up at her "then go with me." 

Kathryn's eyes narrowed at me and then she abruptly pulled away. "Oh I should have known" she huffed. "You did this on purpose didn't you?" 

"Did what?" I inquired innocently. 

"Don't play dumb" she spat. "You got those tickets for tonight knowing Jackson wouldn't be able to take me and you would go in his place." 

"No it was a complete coincidence." Even as I said it though I couldn't hold back my grin that told her it was a complete lie. 

Kathryn rolled her eyes in frustration, "just get the tickets for another night." 

I shrugged "sorry can't. I all but had to kill a small child just to get these. Nope if you want to go you're going to have to go tonight-and with me." 

She pulled herself up to a sitting position and crossed her arms to her chest in a huff. I could see her brain working, trying to figure out a way that she could go and not get herself into trouble with me. The amusing thing was I knew as much as she protested otherwise she still wanted me to take her. "Oh come on Kathryn" I sighed sitting up. "I know you want to go, so why the fuck not?" 

Her eyes locked on mine as she said seriously "you know why not. You think if you took me it would be like...like a-" 

"Date?" I finished for her. "That would be nice wouldn't it?" 

"No!" 

I laughed "relax Kathryn I promise I won't do anything-well only if you want me to anyway. Besides didn't you have fun the last time we went together?" Leaning into her I whispered "and Jackson doesn't have to know anything about it." 

Kathryn's eyes lit up and I knew then I had her. "Okay then I'll go" she told me "and you promise you won't say anything to Jackson about it?" 

"Of course" I agreed. Now I had two secrets to keep, both of which would ultimately help me gain what I wanted. If Kathryn only knew how deep my little game of deception went, she would be pissed. Then again she might also be somewhat impressed. This was Kathryn after all, she wasn't wired like other people. 

"And you're not going to try anything, right?" 

"Promise" I replied before grabbing her by the back of the neck and pulling her into a hard kiss. She was too shocked to respond but that was okay. I had a feeling she'd be responding plenty to me tonight. Breaking away from her with a smirk I tapped her on the head and called out as I left "I'll pick you up at seven." 

I heard her let out the breath she had been holding in as she muttered "I hate you." 

Turning my head I winked at her "hate you right back luv." 

A slow smile spread across her face as I said that. We both knew what that statement really meant but both of us would die before admitting it. Some things just couldn't be said out loud. 

****** 

"Enjoying your birthday thus far?" 

Kathryn glanced over at me, somewhat dubiously before responding primly "it's okay." 

Leaning over the balcony I used the eye glasses to spy on the patrons below as they rose up from their seats during intermission. The opera was half way over with and although I knew Kathryn was enjoying herself she was still freezing me out. I suppose one reason she did this was because she enjoyed tormenting me but I suspected she had another reason. "You know being a bitch to me isn't going to convince me you're not interested." Pulling the goggles away from my face I leered at her, "I know you are." 

"God could you be anymore delusional?" she huffed. "You were making more sense when you were drunk off you ass using my balcony as a balance beam. In case you missed it the first time: I.Don't.Want.You. The only reason I came tonight was to see the opera." 

"Fine then" I sighed as I stood up abruptly. "If you insist on being so disagreeable all night I'll leave you. I think I see someone down there I known. I'm going to go sit with her. Enjoy your box-alone." 

I enjoyed the momentary shocked expression written all over Kathryn's face before starting to leave. She let me get just out the door before letting out a frustrated sigh and following after me. "Why do you have to make things so difficult?" she demanded grabbing hold of my jacket and pulling me back into the box. Kathryn sat back in her seat and indicated for me to do the same. "How much more clearer do I have to make it to you? I love Jackson and nothing more can happen between us. If he already knew what we've done..." 

As she trailed off she looked down at the crowd below and away from me. "He doesn't make you happy" I told her. 

"What? Of course he does" 

"No he doesn't" I said with just a hint of sympathy. "Because if he did you wouldn't be sitting here with me right now. If he was really all you wanted you would have torn the tickets up, told me to go to hell, and then you would have waited until after his meeting for him to take you out. The truth of the matter is he doesn't give you everything you want and somewhere deep down you're afraid to acknowledge that I just might be able to. Kathryn you may indeed care about him and want to have a life with him but don't confuse that with love. If you truly loved him you wouldn't have given me a second thought." 

After I said all this I leaned back in my seat waiting for a response. Kathryn however just stared at me her face expressionless but her eyes wide in thought. We stared at each other for a long moment but before she could say anything to me the music started back up and the lights went down. Slowly she turned her attention back to the stage but my eyes remained on her. 

Moving closer to her I reached out and took Kathryn's hand. To my delight she didn't pull away but rather wrapped her fingers around mine. Feeling encouraged I leaned over and gently nuzzled my nose against the nape of her neck. I could have sworn I heard her groan slightly but I couldn't tell over the music. Her body definitely reacted though, it tensed under my touch and although her eyes were on the stage her attention was fully directed at me. Kathryn was waiting for me to go further but I held back. If she wanted this she was going to have to make the first move. 

Ever so slowly she turned her head back to face me. When her vibrant green eyes burned intently into mine and the music started to swell she suddenly jolted forth and kissed me. It was so urgent and demanding it damn near knocked me over, in fact I needed a moment just to catch up with her. The glasses I had been holding dropped from my hand as my arms wrapped around her small quaking form. As we kissed it occurred to me we were in full view of the whole theater, anyone could look up and spot us. Kathryn had either forgotten this or simply didn't care. 

Pulling away from her mouth I moved to the floor as if looking for the glasses. Kathryn groaned as we broke apart then demanded "what are you doing?" 

"I thought I'd give you the second part of your birthday gift" I explained maneuvering my body between her legs. 

She stared down at me in confusion until I began moving her dress up her legs. Her eyes went wide and she hissed, "Jesus, here? Now? Someone could see" 

I chuckled "then you'd do best to keep it down." 

With my back against the five foot wall I met no resistance as I pushed Kathryn's thighs apart and pulled her panties aside. I waited only a second before diving in and going down on her. As I did she squirmed only slightly in her seat and kept her moans down to a minimum. Glancing up at Kathryn briefly I smirked when I saw her jaw clenched and her eyes closed as if she was trying her best to hold back what she was feeling. "Open your eyes" I ordered her. 

She looked down at me through heavy eye lips and muttered "don't stop." 

I went back to work on her, trying to locate that place that I knew would make her scream. It wasn't like I wanted us to get caught by someone but I did enjoy watching her loose control, especially on account of me. When my tongue flicked against her clit at last she grabbed hold of my hair and tugged as she started to coo and moan. I could tell even before she started to whimper my name that she was on the verge of coming. 

Before she could reach a climax however something happened. Kathryn's body suddenly became incredibly rigid and I realized that she no longer was moaning, in fact she was completely silent. I looked up to find Kathryn looking at something over my shoulder with a horrified expression. Slowly I turned around to find we weren't alone. It was Jackson. 

He was staring back at us with an equally horrified look on his face. You can't imagine how pleasurable I found that expression. With a cruel smile I didn't even bother to wipe his girlfriends juices off my face as I said "hey Jack, how'd the meeting go?" 

Staring back at me with searing hatred then back at his girlfriend he snarled, "I fucking knew it!" 

Without another word he stormed out of the box. Kathryn quickly pushed me aside, fixed her dress and ran out after him leaving me to collapse against the floor. However I wasn't angry, on the contrary I was quite pleased. I couldn't have planned that better myself. 

Oh wait, I did. 

****** 

It was an amazingly simple operation to set up. Remembering back to the night of my parents anniversary party I recalled what I saw happen between Jackson and that woman in the shadows. After Kathryn had abruptly left my bed I investigated and found out the woman he had been fooling around with was Helena Kovac, a wealthy widowed friend of my mothers who lived in Miami. Seeing as she was the only woman I knew for a fact Jackson cheated with I gave her a call. 

Surprisingly she had been quite sympathetic to my plight. I explained to her that Jack was a cheating scum bag and his girlfriend deserved much better-namely me. Would she mind terribly coming back to town and distracting him a little bit? Of course not, in fact she seemed quite eager to have another go around with him. Something told me it wouldn't be too hard for her to persuade him back to her bed. 

Afterwards I instructed her to get rid of him around nine o'clock. I knew Jack would go back to my place and discover from one of the chatty maids that I had taken Kathryn out for the night. I figured he would be able to find us once he got there and I even wondered if I could perhaps manage to get Kathryn into a compromising position when he did but I never would have thought I'd be this lucky. Not only does Jackson find us messing around but Kathryn was willing letting me pleasure her. There was no way she could talk her way out of this! 

I was so pleased with myself I practically skipped down the hall on the way to my bedroom. I figured Kathryn was probably still out begging for forgiveness from Jackson so when I opened the door and found her sitting at my desk I was pleasantly surprised. Her back was to me as she stared out the window. I grinned and was about to call out to her when she turned around, with tears in her eyes. 

My smile fell immediately as I tried my best not to gawk at the sight in front of me but it was hard. This was Kathryn after all and showing emotions wasn't exactly a big thing with her. This was the first time in the three years I'd known her that I saw her cry. I was rather surprised she knew how. 

After closing the door behind me I stepped further into the room. "Kathryn what's wrong?" 

Yeah it was a stupid question, I knew what was wrong and yet I asked it all the same. Wiping her eyes she huffed "what do you think?" 

"I take it things with Jackson didn't go well. What happened?" 

Rising up from her seat Kathryn grabbed her drink that looked like scotch but I couldn't be sure and gulped it down in one sip. She slammed it back down on the desk with a hard thud before remarking "he dumped me of course." 

"What do you mean of course?" I asked walked over to her side of the desk. I tried to hug her, comfort her some how but she pushed me away. 

Stepping back she hissed "how did you expect him to react when he found his best friend between my legs? What was I suppose to say, that you tripped and fell? He knows! Apparently he's suspected for some time that you and I were screwing around. Tonight he got his proof." 

I sighed "Kathryn I'm sorry." 

"No you're not" she spat angrily. "This is exactly what you wanted! Jackson out of my life for good so you could swoop in and claim me. Well what the fuck are you waiting for?!" 

I stared at her rather dumbstruck. Not five minutes ago I was walking on air, thinking I was about to receive everything I wanted but now here I stood before this girl who I adored so much and just seeing her be torn apart with hurt. So I guess this is what they mean by be careful what you wish for. 

Just for the briefest of moments I considered telling her everything. About the set up, where Jackson really was that night (cause I'm sure he didn't let that slip) and even how I lied about Jackson's feeling for her. However even though I knew it might ease my conscience a little it would only hurt Kathryn more. 

"I never wanted to see you get hurt" I told her soothingly as I moved closer to her. "Your right I do want you and Jackson to break up, I'm not going to deny I'm not just the slightest bit thrilled about that but I don't like seeing you in pain." 

Kathryn's eyes fell to the floor as tears once again began to well up in her eyes. Reaching out for her I pulled her into my arms and she soon melted into my embrace. "I'm sorry" she said in a voice barely a whisper. "I shouldn't have blamed you, I know you're not responsible for this. Well not all of it anyway." 

"Apology accepted" 

She moved away from me then and I thought she was going to turn away. Instead however she pulled me down for a kiss. I returned it only for a moment before breaking away. "What are you doing?" 

"What does it look like?" she asked coyly, tears still evident in her eyes. Once again she drew me into a kiss this time even more urgent than the last. Gripping onto my body tightly she pushed me back into the bed and I went along with it. She felt good and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't even a little bit aroused by this but at the same time I knew it was wrong. I was more than eager to relive that first night we shared together but I didn't want it to be like this. Not when Kathryn's mind was somewhere else. The thought that she could be pretending she was with that prick when she was with me was enough to turn my stomach. 

"Wait, stop" I pulled away from her breathlessly and explained "we can't do this." 

"Why not?" she demanded. "I know you want this, I know you want me." 

"Not like this" 

"Well beggars can't be fucking choosers" Kathryn hissed grabbing me by the lapels and pulling me down on top of her. "I want to fuck." 

Removing her hands from my jacket I got to me feat and sighed defeated "well I don't. Look you know how I feel about you but I don't want to use you when you're valun-" 

"Shut up!" she yelled getting up suddenly. "I know exactly what I'm doing and what I want, which at this moment is to get laid. I want to forget Jackson and everything else. Now if you won't help me do it I'll just find someone else who will." 

Without another word she turned on her heels and stomped out of my bedroom. With a frustrated sigh I chased after her "Kathryn, I'm sorry. Kathryn!" 

It was too late, she already disappeared into her room. I thought about going over there and knocking (I was sure she locked the door) but I decided it was best if I gave her some time alone. Somberly I walked back to my room wondering about what I just did. Did I really turn down sex with Kathryn? God I really was starting to go soft. Still I knew if I went through with it there was a possibility I would regret it in the morning. Besides I told myself now that Jackson was out of the picture I had all the time in the world. Kathryn was now alone and she wasn't going anywhere. 

****** 

The following morning before I even showered and dressed I decided to go check on Kathryn. Actually what I really wanted to do was make sure she hadn't done anything stupid like mix one of Blaine's party favors with some alcohol. Crossing over to her room I expected to find her still asleep or at the very least awake and nursing a hang over. However I found neither, in fact I found nothing at all. 

The room was completely empty, not just of Kathryn but all her things as well. Quickly I dashed around the room and adjoining bathroom, searching through drawers and closets. Everything was empty, there was no trace of her. 

My first thought was she went back home so I quickly called the Merteuil townhouse only I got no answer. Feeling increasingly frustrated and a tad nervous I rushed out of the room and down the stairs. On my way down I nearly ran over my mother. Gathering herself up she huffed "Sebastian what is your hurry? What ever it is there is no reason to run around like a wild animal." 

"Mother Kathryn's gone" I exclaimed expecting her to be equally alarmed. 

However she just nodded calmly and replied "well of course she is, her plane left well over three hours ago." 

"What?!" I yelled "Plane? Where the fuck did she go?" 

"Didn't she tell you? Oh dear I just assumed she told you yesterday. Sebastian she went to London to stay with her mother for the rest of the summer. Apparently she just decided last night." 

"London?" I repeated my brain not really comprehending what she just told me. 

My mother stared at me with concern "is something wrong?" 

I didn't bother to answer her as I ran back up the stairs and into my room. Picking up the phone I quickly dialed JFK and barked into the phone when a pleasant voice greeted me, "yeah when's your next flight to London?" 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	10. London Calling

Trip On Love 

Summary: Sebastian and Kathryn reunite in London but a dark cloud might be looming on the horizon. 

Chapter 10: London Calling 

I could drink in that stunned look on her face for hours. Her lips usually upturned into a sexy smirk were now openly gapping as her green eyes went wide as saucers and her usually relaxed body became tight with tension. My beloved ice queen was melting before my very eyes and I was loving every second of it. 

"Well, don't I even merit a hello?" 

"Sebastian" she breathed not bothering to hide her surprise. 

"Kathryn" I sighed as I got up from my seat and approached her. "I've just spent the past seven hours on a plan sandwiched between a 300 pound, hygienically challenged man and a snoring old women. In couch. COUCH Kathryn. At the very least I think I deserve-" 

I was cut off when she suddenly leapt forward and threw her arms around me. Slowly my arms circled her waist and as I held her to me it was my turn to be stunned. "Or that works too." 

"I'm sorry" she murmured as she pulled away in embarrassment. "You just surprised me. What are you doing here Sebastian?" 

Well it took her all of a minute to revert to form. Not that this surprised me mind you. If there was one thing Kathryn and I knew it was how to keep one's emotions at bay. Still I'll admit the hug was nice. That unpleasant plane trip really hadn't been for nothing. 

We each slipped effortlessly back into our rhythm of keeping one another at arms length. Pretending to be preoccupied with one of her magazines laying out of the hotel coffee table I explained "I didn't like the way we ended things last night." 

"So you did the next logically thing and hopped on a plane to London" 

"Well what did you expect me to do? You just took off!" I hadn't meant it to sound that harsh or dramatic but I slipped and allowed my emotions get away from me. In a softer tone I added "you didn't say good-bye or anything. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." 

Kathryn smirked "careful Valmont I might start suspecting you care." Turning away she went back to her shopping bags and said over her shoulder "I'm fine. I just needed to get away for a little while." 

I knew she was lying just as I knew last night that she really didn't want to sleep with me. In the back of my mind I cursed myself for putting this whole thing into motion to begin with. Had I not set Jackson up to cheat on Kathryn we would be back in New York and I wouldn't feel this weight of guilt I was feeling at that moment. Then again she'd still be with Jack. 

Coming up beside her I put my hand over hers stopping her movements. When she looked up at me expectantly I told her "you know why I couldn't go through with it last night, right?" 

Kathryn looked away. "Perhaps it was a little rash. Though I have to say I was rather surprised by your restraint. I thought you found me irresistible?" 

I grinned when she started flirting with me and acting like the old Kathryn. The Kathryn before Jackson entered the picture. Leaning forward I pushed her hair aside and placed a delicate kiss on her neck. "You have your moments" I whispered against her skin. 

She sighed and leaned her body into me. Gripping her waist I continued devouring her neck, taking great delight in how good she tasted. Kathryn held her breath and her body tensed under my touch. Knowing I had such an effect on her caused me to feel instantly aroused. Something told me I wasn't going to be able to act as gentlemanly as last time. 

Kathryn suddenly turned around and before I knew what was happening I was kissing her mouth. Hard, frantic, open mouthed kisses that were doing nothing to discourage the bulge in my pants. She tugged at my jacket, bulging it up in her fists as if nervous. As she fell back against the desk the chair moved and squeaked. Kathryn pulled away then like she just realized what she was doing. Breathing heavily she simply said "Jackson." 

"Is he here?" 

She shook her head "no but-" 

"Did Jackson fly across the Atlantic to find you?" Moving towards her I grabbed hold of her waist. Kathryn seemed to think about what I was saying for a moment. She looked away and I could see a look flash through her eyes that resembled a realization. "Jackson Maguire is nothing more than a vapid, spoiled, Hollywood brat who never deserved you." 

Looking at me sharply she asked "and you do?" 

"Of course" I replied with an arrogant smirk. "We're two of a kind remember?" 

Kathryn cocked an eyebrow and then without a word pushed me against the wall. As my head bumped one of the framed pictures I readied myself for one of her famous tantrums. Much to my surprise though instead of chewing me out for insulting her supposed love she leapt at me crushing her mouth to mine. 

Surprised but delighted I spun her around and pressed her against the wall. Kathryn's nails dug into my neck as she pulled me to her with great forcefulness all the while moaning into my mouth. I ripped open the jacket of her suit not paying much attention when a button or two popped off. Hugging my neck she jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs tightly around my waist. "Ooh Mr. Valmont" she cooed, her pelvis grinding into mine. "Am I getting you excited?" 

I swear this girl was going to kill me someday. 

"You haven't seen excited yet" I groaned. "Where's the fucking bedroom?" 

****** 

"These oysters are exquisite. See aren't you glad we went out?" 

Glancing at her over the rim of my wine glass I replied dryly "no not really." 

"We've spent the past twenty four hours cooped up in my hotel room. Don't you want to see any of London while you're here?" 

"I've already seen it." Leaning across the table I reached out and lightly caressed her hand. "I much rather be home in bed seeing more of you." 

Kathryn sat down the empty oyster she had been feasting on and then licked her lips. "Valmont" she said sweetly "tell me, is it at all possible for you to not think with your cock for five minutes?" 

I smirked "I really like the way you say cock." 

"I'll take that as a no then" she sighed reaching for her wine glass. "We'll have to work on that." 

I didn't bother defending myself because I know she's not entirely wrong. I did want to go back to her suite where I could spend endless hours ravishing her body but at the same time I didn't mind this so much. Truth me told I never held much stock in dating namely because the women I normally chose to go out with weren't very interesting outside of the bedroom. They were beautiful but normally just too inarticulate or shallow to engage in any interesting conversation. 

Going out with Kathryn though was a different thing all together. I enjoyed our snark filled conversation and listening to her witty comebacks. She made interesting observations about the people around us and made me laugh with her bitchy reactions. Strangely enough though the thing I liked the most was simply observing her. Watching her walk into a room, noticing how others admired her beauty and poise. Just watching her sip her wine as she sat across from me was almost intoxicating as laying in bed beside her. 

The fact that we were on what most would consider a date was enough to fill me with an overwhelming sense of joy. However there was just one cloud hovering over this whole experience and like some kind of masochist I was about to bring it up. "Have you heard from Jackson?" I inquired casually. 

Kathryn looked over at me in surprise. The topic of her former boyfriend hadn't come up since the night before and she had probably thought it a moot subject but I needed to know where I stood. Averting my eyes Kathryn replied "no not since that night." 

I nodded "so it's over between you two for good then?" 

"I don't..." She trailed off and then looked up at me accusingly. "Why are you so interested?" 

"Why am I so interested? Why do you think?" 

Her eyes narrowed at me and I could practically see her transformation back into the ice princess. The wall was most definitely coming up. "Because you want to know if you've won yet" she hissed at me. "Isn't that what this is all about? Who has the most women, the biggest boat, the prettiest toy? It's like a never ending pissing contest between the two of you." 

"That's not fair" I spat. Leaning over the table to her I remarked "you cannot honestly believe that. You have nothing to do with my rivalry with Jack."  


Even as I said it I knew it wasn't completely true but at the same time I was aware that my feelings for Kathryn had developed way beyond Jackson. However she wasn't buying it. Shifting away from me she grumbled "yeah right. It's what started this whole thing." 

"What whole thing? You mean the bet?" 

"Amongst other things" she replied cryptically. 

I wasn't sure what she was referring to exactly but I put it aside for now. Reaching under the table I rested my hand on her bare knee. "I don't give a shit about Jackson. He doesn't matter to me all I care about is you." Kathryn turned back to me and I explained "the only reason I brought him up was because I wanted to make sure you were here with me and not thinking about him. When I'm with you you're all I can think about but I know it's not the same for you." 

"What makes you think that?" she asked softly. 

"Just a feeling I get." Pulling away from her I added "it's okay though. I know you still love him." 

Kathryn surprised me when I felt her hand reach under the table and grasp mine. "Don't presume to know what I think and feel. I'm not replacing you for Jackson if that's what you're getting at." 

"Are you sure?" 

Her other hand came out and cupped my face. Kathryn's eyes softened and she smiled, not smirked back at me. "I'm glad you're here Sebastian. I've missed our friendship." 

_Friendship? _I could feel my gut drop at that word. Of all the words I would use to describe my new found feelings for Kathryn friendship was not one of them. Still I choked back my disappointment and remarked "yeah so did I." 

Drawing me in closer she purred "what do you say we get out of here and go back to the hotel?" Suddenly I felt my hand being led to someplace soft, warm and if I wasn't mistaken a little damp. "Apparently that myth about oysters is true." 

I smirked as my lips brushed against hers. "What myth is that?" 

"You know how they make you..." Kathryn flicked her tongue over my lips "horny." 

I groaned, my dick becoming hard as my fingers continued to probe her flesh. "I think we better leave and do a more scientific study of your hypothesis." 

Kathryn laughed and she moved in to kiss me when we were rudely interrupted by someone clearing there throat. Without looking over to see who it was I order "fuck off." 

"Um, sir I'm afraid I can't do that." 

Groaning I pulled away from my date to find our waiter standing beside us with a perturbed look on his face. "What is it?" I asked with little interest. 

"I ran your credit card through the machine but there was a problem. It was reported stolen." 

"Excuse me? That's impossible" 

The old man's beady eyes narrowed at me as he spat "no I'm afraid it's not." 

Rolling my eyes I reached into my jacket pocket and produced my wallet. "Fine I'll just use another card." 

"I'm afraid there's a bigger issue sir." Moving aside he gestured to the front of the restaurant where two uniformed police officers were standing. "Those men would like to have a word with you." 

Well apparently the great experiment was going to be put on hold for a bit. Shit. 

****** 

Of all the many scenarios I had imagined for tonight, ending up in a London jail with Kathryn wasn't one of them. Encased in our small, gray, windowless cell I paced back and forth trying to block out the wretched smell of urine mixed with body odor, while I pondered just how the hell this happened. 

"I cannot believe this" Kathryn spat as she leaned back against the opposite wall. 

"Well believe it sweetheart" I grumbled back. Stopping momentarily it my steps I looked over at her and for a moment I almost felt like laughing. Kathryn looked absolutely ridiculous and out of place in her black designer dress. Had this been happening to anyone else I would have found it all quite amusing but since I too was stuck in this disgustingly filthy cell it was another matter entirely. "Any ideas as to how this happened?" 

"How should I know?" she huffed. "It was YOUR credit card." 

"Actually it was a stolen credit card" I reminded her. "Do know how it could have ended up in my wallet?" 

Kathryn rolled her eyes "of course not." 

As she walked past me I grabbed her by the arm. "Do you know of anyone who would find it amusing to have us arrested?" 

She stared back at me confused and shook her head. "What are you-oh no. There's no way Valmont!" 

"Jackson" I sneered gripping her arm even tighter. "He's the reason we're in here. The son of a bitch set us up!" 

Kathryn pulled her arm out of my grasp and her green eyes flashed in anger. "You're crazy! There's no way Jackson would do this. Especially not to me!" 

I would like to say that I was surprised that she was jumping to his defense but I wasn't. Not in the least. The knowledge that she was still hung up on that asshole coupled with the fact I was stuck in a cage caused me to lash out at her more than normal. "Wake the fuck up! You cheated on him, with ME. Jack wouldn't think twice about getting a little revenge on you!" 

Taking a step away from me she shook her head "you're wrong. And even if he did, how the hell would he have pulled it off? We're on another continent for crying out loud!" 

"Who knows? Maybe he swapped my card earlier, maybe he's in London, who the fuck cares? All that matters is he's the one responsible." 

"You're wrong" was all she said as she turned away from me. 

Her obvious state of denial was just making my anger double. "Did you leave your brain at the door when they arrested us or are you so deluded that you can't see this for what it is? He hates you Kathryn for sleeping with me. When he found out you left town and I was with you of course he wanted to teach you a lesson. Jesus, the old Kathryn would have seen right through this and-" 

"Shut up!" she screamed turning back to me her body quaking. In a weaker tone she repeated "just shut up." Kathryn turned back around and rested her head against the metal bars. "Forget about Jackson do you have any idea how much trouble I'm going to be in? When my mother finds out, and trust me she will, she'll keep me in the house for the rest of the summer. Not to mention I'm suppose to be going to an ivy school next year. They find out I have a record and there's no way they'll let me in." 

Realizing that perhaps I was being a little too harsh with her I came up beside Kathryn and rested a hand on her back. "Hey you know my parents aren't going to be any happier." 

"Oh please" she scoffed looking up at me. "You're a fuck up Valmont. They expect this kind of shit from you." 

So much for a sympathetic moment. Pulling my hand back I crossed my arms to my chest and sneered "gee thanks." 

"You know what I mean" she sighed as she took a seat on what passed for a cot in this place. "I don't know how we ended up here or who's responsible. All I care about is getting out of here and going home." 

"Well that might take awhile. According to the charming cop who arrested us our bail hearing isn't until tomorrow. I tried calling my parents but no answer." 

"I don't even know where my mother is" 

Watching Kathryn sit on that pathetic little cot looking not her usual confident self I was suddenly filled with the overwhelming desire to protect her. Putting all my anger aside I took a seat beside her and put my arm around her. A sappy sense of warmth overcame me when she rested her head on my shoulder and curled her hand into mine. Brushing her hair away I kissed Kathryn's forehead and assured her "every thing will be fine." 

"How do you know?" 

"I'm a Valmont" I explained pompously. "I know everything." 

Kathryn laughed lightly "you're an ass." 

"Well isn't this the pretty picture." 

My head shot up at the sound of that familiar cat like purr. I was filled with both relief and revulsion at the sight of Tiffani Merteuil standing on the other side of the bars with a smug smile on her face. Getting to her feet Kathryn voiced her surprise "mother, what are you doing here?" 

"Well darling I was staying in town with a friend when I got a message on my voice mail. Something about you being arrested for credit card theft." Looking past her daughter to me she said "hello Sebastian." 

"Tiff" I replied with saccharine sweetness. 

Fixing her gaze back on Kathryn she asked "so what exactly happened?" 

Kathryn's eyes met mine for a moment and then she quickly looked away. "It was-" 

"Completely my fault" I volunteered suddenly. I wasn't really sure why I was taking the blame but this surely had to be a first. In the end though Kathryn was right. I was the fuck up and it was expected of me. Striding up to the bars casually I explained "it was just a bitter ex of mine playing a joke on me or getting a little revenge. Either way Kathryn's not at fault. She was just at the wrong place, wrong time." 

Even though my eyes were on her mother I could feel Kathryn staring at me with obvious curiosity. It did occur to me that this would probably prove to her that I wasn't full of shit when I said I cared for her. It was very heroic of me I have to admit. However I wasn't sure Tiffani would agree. The old bitch didn't say anything for a long moment as she stared me down, obviously trying to figure out it I was full of shit or not. Finally she sighed "well all right let me see what I can do about getting you two released." 

****** 

Of course she was able to get us released. In ten minutes flat she came back with a skinny little Englishman in toe ready to unlock the door. There would be no bail hearing, no charges pressed and to my knowledge no fine paid. We just walked out of there as if they had just decided a big mistake had been made. I'm sure Tiffani paid off, threatened, or fucked somebody to get us released but I didn't want to know the details. 

On the way home Kathryn sat sandwiched between mommy dearest and me. Never once did the subject of our imprisonment or the reason I was with Kathryn in London came up. Instead I sat by the window quietly brooding while mother and daughter talked in dull tones about Tiffani's trip to Florence and her latest boyfriend. I was tempted to lean over and ask if this 'boyfriend' is married but I bit my cheek and kept quiet. 

When we arrived back at Kathryn's suite her mother apparently didn't plan on leaving right away. I could tell by the annoyed looks her daughter kept throwing my way that she was anxious to get rid of her. Finally Kathryn decided she's going to go take a shower to get rid of the 'prison stench'. Actually I suspected the real reason was that she knew if she left me and her mother alone long enough I would insult her and she would leave. Tricky bitch. 

"So Sebastian what are you doing in London?" 

That took all of a minute. Sitting across from her my fingers dug into the arm chair as I searched for something equal parts shocking and crude to say. It didn't take long. "I'm just in town to screw your daughter." 

At the very least I expected her to flinch, scowl or curse me out but no the bitch didn't even blink. Instead the confident smirk she was wearing widened as she sat down beside me and mused "interesting. I knew it was only a matter of time before the two of you got together." 

I scowled at her "come again?" 

"I've know you've had your eye on my daughter for quite some time now" she explained confidently. "It's obvious to anyone who looks at you what your feelings for Kathryn are. I was quite pleased to here of all the time you two have been spending together this past summer. And now that, that ridiculous boy is out of her life, well she's free to be...with whomever she wants." 

Well this has to be a first. A mother actually wants me with her daughter. "What's wrong with Jackson? I figured you'd be dying for your daughter to end up like a guy like him." 

Tiffani chuckled as if I had just made a little joke. "Jackson Maguire in a charming young man but I have no desire for my only child to end up as the trophy wife of some _actor._ No I would like someone more suited to her. Someone who will understand her, love her, jump to her defense much like you did tonight." 

I wasn't buying it. Getting to my feet I strolled over to the bar and called out to her over my shoulder "don't you mean someone with money? Lets be honest here Tiff, the Valmont's have more status and money than the Maguires. That's why you prefer me and I imagine that's why you tried to steal my father away from my mother." 

Sitting back in her chair Tiffani frowned and looked away. "What happened between your father and I was a long time ago Sebastian. It's long past. Your mother has managed to overlook it so I would-" 

My fists shook with rage as I spun around on my heels and yelled at her "don't you dare mention my mother you fucking bitch! You don't know her, you're not friends with her so don't talk about her like you are." 

"Actually we are" she reveled. "Your mother knows all about what happened between your father and I. She forgave me a long time ago and in fact we've become good friends." 

I shook my head "you're lying." 

"Fine think what you will" she sighed getting to her feet. "However I think you should know I wasn't the only one hoping Kathryn and you would eventually get together. In fact it was your mother who suggested the idea to me. She has long since hoped you'd get over this rebellious trouble making phase and settle down with one girl. Kathryn." 

"Settle down?" I repeated. "You don't mean..." 

Tiffani snickered "she's practically made up the guest list. Of course it's your decision. You and Kathryn are free to do what you like but it's just something to think about. I know it would please your mother and I greatly if you decided to eventually plan a future together." Gathering up her coat she headed towards the door. "Well I have to be on my way. Tell Kathryn good night for me and I'll talk to her tomorrow. Good bye Sebastian." 

As she exited I was left gawking at the door completely speechless. I wasn't sure what rattled me more: the fact that my mother was apparently best buddies with my fathers ex-mistress or that they were planning my wedding to Kathryn. Turning back to the bar I poured my glass of water down the drain and replaced it with vodka. Straight. 

After gulping it down I walked back to the bedroom as if in a daze. Kathryn was still in the shower so I took a seat on the bed and considered this new information. Marriage. Marrying Kathryn. Wife. Marriage. Kathryn. 

There wasn't enough alcohol in the western hemisphere to make me forget that idea. 

Eventually the bathroom door opened and Kathryn came out in a silk robe drying her damp hair with a towel. "Hey, I take it she left?" 

"Yeah" I muttered my head still focused on that very frightening idea. 

She snickered "so what did you have to say to her to make her leave?" When I didn't respond Kathryn asked "Sebastian?" 

"What?" 

"What's wrong with you? Did she say something to you?" 

I nodded dully "yeah you could say that." 

"Well what was it?" 

I studied her a moment trying to decide whether or not I should tell her. Finally I realized there was no way I could keep it to my self. Leaning closer towards her I took a deep breath and explained "according to your mother, she's like best friends with my mom and apparently, you're not going to believe this." I waited a beat before dropping the bomb. "They are practically planning our wedding." 

Kathryn's face fell. "Oh that." 

My eyebrows shot up as I pulled away from her. "Wait a minute you knew about this?" 

"Yes" she sighed as she fixed her hair in the mirror. 

I wasn't sure whether to be angry or fall over in stunned disbelief that she had kept this bit of information to herself. Trying my best to keep calm I asked "why didn't you bother to tell me this?" 

"Well I had a feeling you'd act like a petulant child and throw a tantrum. Sort of like you're doing now." 

Grabbing hold of the chair she was sitting in I spun her around to face me. My teeth clenched I hissed "how long have you know about this?" 

Kathryn let out a tired sigh, "about a year." 

"A YEAR?!" I stood over her and screamed. 

"Oh calm the fuck down Valmont." Getting to her feet she crossed her arms to her chest and explained. "You want to know why I never told you about this? Well for starters every time I bring up the subject of my mother you go off on a tirade. Second did it ever occur to you that I might not WANT to marry you?" 

Strangely enough it hadn't. "Well why not?" 

Kathryn rolled her eyes and sat back down. "Sebastian no one is dragging you off to Tiffany's to buy me a diamond ring so just relax." 

Even though I knew she had a point I was still annoyed she knew about this and never told me. Loosening the tie around my neck I began to get undressed and get into bed. "The only person who will be deciding my future is me. Not you or my mother and especially not your mother. Now I'm going to sleep." 

Kathryn went back into the bathroom to dry her hair. Try as I might I couldn't fall asleep. The events of the previous two days weighted heavily on my mind. I couldn't imagine being married to anyone let alone Kathryn. I was only eighteen for Christ's sake. 

I was still wide awake when Kathryn came out of the bathroom. Dressed in a white night gown made of lace and satin she pulled her dark locks into a pony tail as she approached the bed. "Are you still pouting?" she teased. 

"Fuck off" I huffed. 

She climbed into bed and got on top of me. Even though my mind was very much on other things I still got hard when her weight rested atop me. Running a finger down my face she asked "what you thinking about? Wedding cakes?" 

Avoiding her eyes I stared up at the ceiling and told her coldly "I'm not in the mood for your shit. I'm going to sleep." 

"Not until I'm done playing with you, you aren't." Kathryn bent her head down and began to gently kiss my neck and collar bone. As her wet tongue flicked against my skin her hands wandered down to my chest. 

"Stop it" I protested half heartedly. 

"No" she laughed as she scooted further down my body. Her mouth danced across my chest planting kisses here and there. Kathryn stoped at my nipples and circled her tongue around the pink bud. Without warning she bit down hard. My body arched involuntarily and I let out a hiss. She looked up at me with a predatory glint in her eye. She definitely wanted to play. 

Still I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of playing along. I let my face fall into a mask of indifference as I pretend to be interested by something out the window. Kathryn didn't let this stop her though. She continued on her journey down my body and then much to my annoyance she began to hum the wedding march. "Dum, dum, da dum" she giggled. "Dum, dum, da dum." 

"You're not funny" 

At last she arrived at my underwear. Pealing the fabric from my body slowly she tossed it aside with careless grace, as my erection sprung free betraying my supposed lack of interest. Kathryn pretended to study it as if it's the first time she's seen a cock. She moveed her face in real close and begins to breath against me. "Hmm, now correct me if I'm wrong but when a boy isn't interested in you does in dick usually get this big and hard?" 

Oh fuck you. I scowled at her but she just grinned back at me mischievously. For a moment I was tempted to cum right there, all over her pretty face. That would certainly wipe off that smug grin. However the prospect of her mouth around me was just too tempting to pass up. Instead I sneered "if you are going to insist on being a tease can you please just get on with -oh." 

I was immediately silenced when she suddenly engulfed my cock into her mouth. When I say engulf I mean she swallowed the whole god damn thing. Apparently the concept of a gag reflex was lost on this girl and I for one was quite pleased. Kathryn took me into the back of her throat and right away she began sucking like crazy. I started to gently thrust my hips as my hands reached down for something to grab a hold of. I squeezed her bobbing shoulders and then clumsily tugged at her hair. 

My mind was both working at warp speed and not at all. I wondered why we hadn't done this before and why I was protesting it to begin with. Kathryn was most definitely in her element. I grit my teeth and grimaced trying hard not to yell out. In the back of my head I was still trying to make believe I was not into this even though it had become flagrantly apparent that I was. Then she did it. Her tongue began to lick the sensitive skin underneath my prick as her free hand fondled my balls. Reaching back I gripped the bed post and groaned "oh shit. There, right there." 

As she slid me back into her throat I could feel her laughing or moaning or both. Kathryn was obviously enjoying her victory over me and truth be told so was I. A second later I couldn't hold back any more so with by eyes squeezed tight I thrust one final time and emptied myself into her mouth. My orgasm riped through me as I trembled and shook not caring for once how vulnerable this made me appear. 

Slowly my body relaxed and an immediate sense of bliss washed over me. I felt content and happy, all the anger from earlier seemingly melted away. Now I could definitely fall asleep. 

I thought she would want me to return the favor but she didn't move further up the bed to join me. Instead she rested her head on my abdomen. Reaching down I gently touched her face and she looked up at me. I gave her a genuine smile, a gesture that only seems possible when I'm with her. When my fingers slid across her lips she kissed them and said "so marriage, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad." 

Strangely enough I find myself agreeing with her. "No it wouldn't" I whisper back hoarsely. 

Kathryn laid her face against my stomach and I caressed her hair as I listened to her breath. Eventually she fell asleep but I laid wide awake watching her. With stunning clarity I realize for the first time in my life I was content. I was happy. 

I was in love. 

****** 

I should never have left her. It was only for a moment, just to run down the street to the drug store for a pack of cigarette's. I was only gone for twenty minutes but it was plenty of time for everything to fall to shit. 

Returning to the hotel I stepped into the elevator and admired the bundle of pink roses in my hand that I had picked up at the florist for Kathryn. I plucked a few as I hummed merrily in my head. When the elevator operator smiled at me I didn't scowl back as I normally would have. Instead I smiled back and slipped a fifty into his pocket. 

My almost intoxicatingly good mood came to an abrupt halt when I stepped off the elevator and saw Jackson coming towards me. He was smiling happily, almost triumphantly as he approached. "Hey Valmont" he greeted my pleasantly as he passed by. "Nice flowers." 

I was too stunned to reply I only stared back in confusion as he got onto the elevator and vanished. Right away I knew something was up. Jackson looked far too pleased with himself for things to be okay. Immediately I strode down the hall to Kathryn's suit. As I entered I was greeted by the harsh sounds of drawers slamming and feet stomping around. "Kathryn" I called out as I headed towards the bedroom. 

She was inside all right running around the room throwing things into the open suitcase on the bed. Kathryn didn't bother to fold anything she just pushed it down and slammed it shut. When I walked in her head shot up and I noticed right away that her eyes were puffy and red like she had just got done crying. "Kathryn" I exclaimed rushing to her side. "What the hell happened? I just saw Jackson. What did he do to you?" 

To my utter astonishment she tossed off the hand I had placed on her shoulder and looked up at ME with accusing eyes. "Don't touch me" she hissed. 

She attempted she move past me but I blocked her and grabbed hold of her arm. "Wait a minute." 

"Keep your fucking hands off me Valmont!" she screamed. 

"What the hell is going on? What did Jackson do?" 

"Jackson hasn't done anything. It's what you've done" 

For the life of me I couldn't figure out what's going on. All I knew was I had never seen Kathryn that angry or upset in my entire life. Moving towards her I asked "what did I do?" 

"What did you do?" she hisses at me with such malevolence I took a step back from her. "Jackson told me the truth! He's in love with me!" Kathryn began to slowly advance on me as I continued to step back. "He's been in love with me all this time. He told you that, the night of your parents party but you talked him out of telling me. YOU filled his head with all this bullshit just so you could get me into bed. Well was it worth it Sebastian? Was I worth it? Was getting inside me worth destroying the only happiness I've ever had?" 

"Kathryn I-" 

Before I could get out my excuse, which lets face it was non existent, Kathryn hit me hard across the face sending me stumbling back into the desk. As I looked back at her in surprise she shook her head and sneered "I don't want to hear your bullshit excuses. We both know the only reason you did it was to win our bet, which by the way you didn't. You knew the only way to win was to cheat. Your victory was hollow just like you." Stepping towards me she grabbed me gruffly by the shirt and hissed "you're nothing more than an empty, shallow playboy. The only thing you're good for Sebastian is giving girls a decent fuck, if that. You're nothing." 

Pushing me away she turned and grabbed her suitcase from off the bed. I watched her too stunned to know how to respond. Suddenly I remembered something and with shaky legs I darted over to my own bag. I fished around until I found the famous leather bound book. Running up to Kathryn I placed it in her hands and told her "take it. I never cared about it anyway. It doesn't matter now. You're the only thing that matters to me Kathryn" I pleaded with her. "Please you have to understand. Just read it and it will explain everything." 

She looked down at the book in her hands and then back at me her eyes filled with disgust. Without a word she turned and tossed the book in the fireplace. I watched stupefied for a moment as my cherished book slowly burned. I looked up just in time to see Kathryn head for the door. I ran after her so desperate at this point I didn't care how pathetic I looked. Grabbing her arm I beg "please Kathryn just listen to me. I love you!" 

Turning around she pushed me off of her and I fell to the floor. Looking down at me she sneered "you're pathetic. I never loved you. It was always Jackson. He's the one I love. It will never be you." 

Without another word Kathryn charged out of the hotel room slamming the door behind her. With no more strength left I collapsed against the chair and let the only thing I ever truly cared about walk out of my life. There was nothing to say, there was nothing to be done. I had lost. It was with that final thought that every emotional wall I had ever put up began to crumble and I began to cry. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	11. What Fresh Hell Is This?

Trip On Love 

Summary: Sebastian takes action against Jackson forcing Kathryn to once and for all choose between them. 

Chapter 11: What Fresh Hell Is This? 

Soft, succulent flesh. I was surrounded by it, drowning in it really. It felt like velvet and silk running all over my body. Warm, soft silk. Tilting my head back I closed by eyes and allowed it to engulf me. I wanted to drown in it. Just disappear and evaporate until the point where everything was forgotten and I was numb. I was so close. 

Then suddenly I was jolted back to reality. That feeling of soft feminine flesh was gone and in it's place was cool air. With a groan I allowed my head to roll to the side and slowly I opened my eyes to find...Tuttle? 

"Ahhhhh!" 

Nothing short of a gun to my face could have woken me up faster. I bolted upright in the bed to find my flaxen haired friend leaning against my night table seemingly unfazed by my girl like shriek. Taking a minute to catch my breath I looked around my bedroom at the five startled female faces. Ginger and her blond friend who's name escaped me was sitting on my desk, Sara was lounging on the arm chair in the corner with a cigarette and Gretchen and Molly were resting at the end of my bed half dressed, staring at me in confusion. 

Blaine chuckled "didn't mean to startle you Valmont." 

"Yeah right" I grumbled running a hand through my unruly blond curls. "What do you want Blaine?" 

Strolling over to the end of the bed he shooed Gretchen off. "Girls will you give us a moment alone. I'm sure Mr. Valmont will make sure to compensate you later." 

Climbing off the bed in an angry huff Molly smacked Blaine in the head and hissed "fuck you Tuttle! We're not hookers." 

Reclining back on the bed he snickered "hookers, whores, same thing." 

The girls began to get dressed, all in an equally angry huff. As they left they each took their turn slamming my bedroom door. I really couldn't care less if they were leaving or not but I was in no mood to deal with Blaine. Especially when he was wearing that smug grin of his. When the final girl had left I once again demanded from him "what the fuck do you want?" 

Examining his nails he sighed "sorry to dismiss your little harem but I had a feeling you wanted to do this in private." 

I reached for a cigarette on my bed side table and lit it. "Do what?" 

Blaine looked up at me a glint of wickedness in his eyes. "Well I got a phone call from you mummy this morning. Apparently she's terribly worried about you. She says you've been hold up in your room for weeks, with various girls tramping in and out. Whenever you do leave your room you act like a complete nightmare. Screaming at the staff and your father. I told her it all sounded perfectly normal to me." He tilted his head in thought "I don't think she liked my little joke. In any event I'm here to help you get over your latest crisis. So what's bothering you Valmont?" 

Sneering at him I got up of the bed and stormed over towards the bar. Pouring a scotch I shook my head angrily at the thought of my mother trying to find someone to call to 'deal' with me. Turning back around I found Blaine staring at me waiting for my explanation. "I'm fine" I spat. 

"Obviously" he replied his voice dripping with sarcasm. "By the way what's with the new look? Is shaving out now?" 

I ran a hand across my face and definitely found a hefty stubble. Normally I couldn't stand such a disheveled look but at the moment I just didn't give a fuck. "Look I've had it with the Addison DeWitt witticisms. Just fuck off" 

Blaine didn't even bat an eye. Rolling over on his side he mused "this charming new attitude of yours, did you acquire it in London?" 

At the mere mention of that trip I slammed my glass on the desk and snapped "don't." 

Of course he didn't listen. "Somebody else just got back from there. Who was it...oh yes. That charming, coked up ex bitch of yours." 

I froze at his words. "What?" 

"You heard me" came his cool reply. 

"Fuck you!" Grabbing my glass I threw it across the room in Blaine's direction. He easily ducked it and rolled off the bed. As he approached the bar I said "she doesn't do that shit anymore." 

"Really? I could have sworn that was princess Merteuil in my townhouse the other night doing lines." Making himself a drink he mused "perhaps you don't know her as well as you thought." 

Perhaps I didn't. Taking a seat behind my desk I told myself not to think or worry about Kathryn. After all she was Jackson's problem now. She chose that loser over me and therefore I was not obligated to care about her anymore. 

It had been three weeks since Kathryn left me in London. The initial pain I felt after our fight had quickly gave way to a weird numb sensation. I packed up my things and went back home. For a little while I had been tempted to call Kathryn, apologize, ask for forgiveness but my pride quickly took over. No matter what I felt for the little bitch I wasn't going to resort to begging and pleading with her. If she wanted Jackson then let her have him. I didn't give a fuck. 

That is until Blaine came over. Now my numbness was starting to leave and in it's place came all those emotions I had been trying so hard to ignore. Suddenly before I could stop the words from escaping I found myself asking "how is she?" 

"I thought you didn't care?" 

"_Blaine_..." 

Striding over to the desk he reached into his blazer and pulled out a vanilla card. Tossing it towards me he suggested "why don't you find out for yourself?" 

I hesitantly picked up the card and read. It was an invitation to Jackson's latest party on labor day. With a disinterested sneer I tossed it back. "I don't think so." 

Blaine took a seat on the desk and then leaned closer to me. "Kathryn will be there" he told me in a sing song voice. 

I turned away from him and stated coldly "not interested." 

"Fine" he sighed. "If you don't want your lady love back I would at least think you'd want to seek some vengeance against Mr. Movie star." 

"Why would you think that?" 

"Oh come on Valmont" he drawled. "The man shows up in town and manages to get the one girl you could never have to fall madly in love with him while also making you out to be a complete fool." 

"Hey, I did _have_ her." 

Blaine stared me down. "Do you have her now?" When I looked away he replied smugly "that's what I thought. Look don't tell me that paying that prick back hasn't crossed your mind." 

Of course it had. If Jackson hadn't shown up and told all to Kathryn I would probably be in bed with her right now but thanks to him she hated me and I felt like shit. He had purposely come to London and he knew exactly what he had done that day when I passed him getting off the elevator. That smug, superior look on his face had been haunting me ever since. Still I hadn't made a move against him because I wanted to rid my hands of Kathryn. In order to do that I had to forget about Jackson too. 

Looking over at Blaine out of the corner of my eye I asked "why are you so adamant about this? What's in it for you?" 

"Entertainment" he laughed. "Watching you take down Jackson a few notches could prove to be very amusing." 

Getting to my feet, feeling suddenly more alert and awake than I had in several weeks I began to think. "If, and I mean IF, I was going to make a move it would have to be on an emotional level. I would have to take something from him." 

"Or someone" Blaine hinted. 

My eyes met Blaine's and I laughed. Yes taking Kathryn from Jackson would be poetic justice. It wasn't like I wanted her back, no it would strictly be for revenge purposes but if she happened to run back to me when she realized what an asshole her boyfriend was I might not push her away just yet... 

Leaning back on my desk he asked "so any ideas?" 

As a matter of fact I did. Jackson was in for a much earned and truly poetic comeuppance. 

****** 

Helena Kovac was stunning. She was somewhere in the area of a little north of forty and yet she easily looked like she was in her early thirties. Long dark, silky straight hair framed around a perfectly structured face that looked far too good to be natural. Her body was a work of art. Legs that went on forever, perfectly toned abs and full, voluptuous breasts. To top it off she was completely tan thanks to the past few years she'd spent at her Miami beach house. 

She was so beautiful I almost didn't blame Jackson for blowing off Kathryn to have a fling with her. Almost. In any event his little indiscretion was now my date for the party. A party that I was technically crashing seeing as the invite was for Blaine. It should make things all the more interesting. 

As we stepped out of my car, Helena dressed in a sleek black off the shoulder dress and me in Armani I took her arm and led her to the door. "You know you never did tell me why you agreed to come tonight."  


"No I didn't, did I?" she answered back, her voice husky and brimming with confidence. "Let's just say I enjoy a good party." 

More like you enjoy fucking a movie star I thought cynically to myself. Actually I suspected her real reasons for getting involved in a high school love affair had more to do with making her feel young again than anything else. Still if that's how she got her kicks I wasn't about to judge her. Especially when it served my purposes so well. 

When we entered the Maguire town house I was filled with a weird sensation of deja vu. It was only a few short months ago I was at this house attending a party. It seemed strange to think of everything that had happened since that time. It seemed like years ago not the beginning of the summer. 

Walking through the party I grabbed a couple of glasses of champagne off of a passing waiters tray and handed one to Helena. Slowing her steps she leaned over and whispered in my ear "there's our boy." 

I followed her eyes to across the room where sure enough Jackson was holding court. A group of guys and a few females were all laughing at something he had said. Seeing as Jack had never uttered anything witty in his life I assumed they were all just a bunch of star struck fans. Shaking my head in disgust I grumbled to my date "how can you even stomach him?"  


"Sebastian you'd be amaze what a girl could put up with if the pay off is right." 

I was about to question what she meant by that when I noticed Kathryn standing a few feat away from Jackson. Unlike his groupies however she wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to him. Instead she was staring into space as she drank a glass of wine with a look of complete boredom and lifelessness. Suddenly my whole being was filled with this ache as I watched her looking so sad. Then just as quickly it was replaced with anger. Anger for making me care so much about her. 

"Is that your girl?" Helena asked me. 

Tarring my eyes from Kathryn I looked back at her and stated coldly "she's not my girl." 

Helena smirked "she might be by the end of the night." 

I decided I wouldn't even let that possibility enter my head. Especially when I saw Jackson approach Kathryn and the blinding smile that suddenly appeared on her face when he did. Scowling I asked Helena "you know what to do right?" 

"Of course" she sighed. 

"Then get to it." 

Drifting into the crowd I watched as Helena strode past the happy couple and noticed when Jackson took note of her. After checking her out a moment longer than necessary, a move that seemed to go unnoticed by Kathryn, he whispered something in his girlfriends ear and then followed after the older women. 

I waited a little while before approaching her. After flirting with some girls and making small talk with a few of Jackson's asshole friends I saw Kathryn heading over to the bar. As she ordered a drink I came up from behind her and waited until the bartender handed her a fresh martini. Just as he was putting it in her hands I grabbed it away and took a sip. Immediately Kathryn whipped around undoubtedly ready to tare into whomever was stupid enough to take something of hers. However when she saw it was me her anger turned to disbelief. "Sebastian?" 

Leaning against the bar I casually sipped the ice cold martini and smirked back at her. "Oh come on Kathryn. Surely you can manage a more original greeting than that." 

Apparently she could. Her eyes narrowed in anger and she quickly blind sided me with a sharp slap to the face then stormed away. I stumbled back a little and some of my drink spilled but I recovered quickly. The bartender who had witnessed the whole scene seemed to be trying not to grin. With one final gulp I finished the drink, set it back on the bar and then followed after Kathryn. Grabbing her by the arm I pulled her back to me. "Not so fast." 

"Let go" she hissed through clenched teeth. She tried to yank free of me but I held on tight. "I mean it Valmont if you don't get away from me and leave right now I'll- 

"You'll what?" Stepping even closer I whispered in her ear "calm down, you wouldn't want to make a scene. Especially with the press watching." 

Kathryn suddenly went still. I looked down to find her glaring up at me with utter contempt. "I'm going to find Jackson and he'll have you thrown out." 

I let her go and took a step back. Smiling calmly I replied "that's a good idea. Why don't you go do that." 

She started to leave but then stopped. After studying me suspiciously for a moment she demanded "what are you up to?" 

I knew it wouldn't be that easy. If there was one thing Kathryn and I had in common it was our rampant paranoia. Still I didn't let it faze me. As I walked past her in the direction of the verandah, I called out over my shoulder "don't worry I'll be leaving shortly." 

"No you're leaving now" she ordered following after me. 

Kathryn grabbed my arm and started to tug me in the other direction. "Careful" I teased. "You know what happened last time Jackson found you with your hands all over me." She let go of me suddenly and then started looking around obviously trying to make sure her boyfriend hadn't seen us. "Don't worry he's not in here." 

"It won't work" she told me confidently. "Whatever twisted little plan you have cooked up to break me and Jackson up it won't work. Face it Valmont you lost. I don't want you, I want him." Pressing her finger to her lip she pretending to ponder then added "come to think of it I don't think I ever wanted you. You were just a pathetic replacement for Jack. A bad knock off of the real thing." 

"Do you think I'm here because of you?" I sneered suddenly filled with anger and pride. "I could care less if you want to degrade yourself by being Jackson's whore of the month. If I really wanted you I would have followed you out of the hotel room in London, but did I? No" 

Kathryn took a step away from me as if being stung. I felt only a slight bit of pride at hurting her but nothing more. Her lower lip trembled and her hands balled into fists but she didn't say anything. She just turned and walked away. I was suddenly overcome with the need to just leave like she asked and not follow out with the original plan. Kathryn was hurting now but she was about to be in even more pain. Then again everything was already set in motion. 

"You wanted the truth?" I called after her as she started away. When she stopped at the sound of my voice I moved closer and told her "I'll tell you the whole truth. Go out on the balcony." 

Kathryn turned around and gave me a skeptical look. I wasn't sure if she was going to do as I asked but in the end her curiosity far out weighted her anger. Without a word she went to the double doors that led out side and opened them. I followed her as she stepped out into the cool summer air. 

It appeared empty at first. Kathryn looked back at me and crossed her arms to her chest. "And what truth am I suppose to discover out..." 

She trailed off when she looked to her right and saw the couple in the shadows. I watched as the color seemed to drain from her face and a look of disbelief crossed over her features. Slowly I stepped out onto the veranda and saw what it was that left her reeling. Sure enough there was Ms. Kovac with her dress around her waist and Jackson between her legs going down on her. They didn't even seem to notice at first that they had an audience. It wasn't until Kathryn took a step back and accidentally hit a piece of wrought iron furniture that scrapped against the cement below that they became aware. 

"Hey, do you fucking mind" Jackson groaned not bothering to turn around to see who it was. 

"Actually I think we do" I told him. 

He turned around obviously ready to go off on whomever it was. However as soon as he saw Kathryn his face fell. "K-Kathryn" he stuttered quickly getting to his feet and approaching her. "Baby it's not what you-" 

Kathryn held up her hand to silence him but didn't say anything. "Then what exactly is going on?" I asked not bothering to hide my smugness. "Did you trip and accidentally fall between her legs?"  


Jackson shot me a dirty look and sneered "fuck off Valmont this has nothing to do with you." 

"Actually it does seeing as Helena is my date for the evening." 

Kathryn didn't react but Jackson did. Forgetting about his girlfriend for a moment who instead of resorting to her usual bitchy hysterics, looked nearly catatonic, he got in my face. "You did this didn't you? You set me up!" 

"Yes Jackson I tricked you into getting on your knees and eating another women's pussy with your girlfriend only ten feet away." Shaking my head I snarled "all I did was set up the bait. The same as I did on Kathryn's birthday." 

"I knew it!" he exclaimed. "You made sure I'd walk in on you and Kathryn that night." 

"Yeah but that wasn't the only thing I arranged that night." 

Jackson looked back at me and a realization passed over his face as he seemed to guess what I was about to reveal. Kathryn glanced my way and finally spoke. "What are you talking about?" 

My eyes met Helena's and then Jackson's. "I made sure Jackson would be gone that night by presenting him with an offer he couldn't refuse. A chance to spend the night in Helena's bed." I waited a beat before adding "again." 

Kathryn's eyes went seemed to glaze over as she took another step away from her boyfriend. "You son of a bitch" she breathed. 

"Kathryn he's fucking lying, can't you see that? I would never-" 

"On the night of my parents party" I interrupted. "Only an hour after he pledged his supposed love for you to me, your boyfriend was off fucking another women. Then on your birthday he lied to you about plans he had with his father. In actuality it was at the Waldorf fucking her. He stood in my living room Kathryn and told me if he couldn't get any from you, he'd get it from her. Then when you went and did the same he broke up with you. That's the whole truth." 

"You fucking prick!" Jackson sneered at me. Turning back to Kathryn he pleaded "it's a lie Kathryn. I swear to god he's just fucking with your head!" 

Helena let out a sigh as she straightened out her dress. "Actually it's the truth. I have it on video if you'd like a verification." 

"Don't listen to her Kathryn" Jack ordered. "She's working with Valmont. Can't you see he's setting us up. He blames me for what happened in London so this is his pathetic attempt at revenge." 

When she looked my way I simply shrugged. "I'm just telling her the truth. Isn't that what you wanted?" 

Kathryn shook her head and whispered "fuck you both." 

As she stormed off the veranda and went back into the party Jackson called after her "Kathryn! Kathryn wait!" 

"Well I guess that's my cue to leave." Helena gathered up her wrap and told me "don't worry I'll find my own way back to the hotel." 

"Good night" 

She tossed a smile in Jack's direction before leaving us alone. When the door closed behind her I too decided it was time to go. "Well as much fun as this has been..." 

When I got to the door Jackson grabbed me by the arm and let out a short humorless chuckle. "Oh we're not done yet. Not by a long shot." Before I could protest his right hand came up and he punched me in the face. I stumbled back into one of the tables and quickly tried to get my bearings. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited to do that?" he exclaimed almost joyously. 

Wiping the blood from my nose I got to my feet and started after him. "Not as long as I've waited to do this." I punched him back just as hard and he tumbled to the ground. Before he had a chance to get back on his feet I got down on the ground and continued to pound on him. I got in a few good punches before he hit me back. 

I rolled over onto the cement and Jackson sat up. "How many years has it been Valmont that we've known each other? You chasing after my left overs like some pathetic little puppy dog." 

Groaning as I clutched my stomach and replied "I think you got that the other way around." 

Jackson stumbled to his feet and then approached me. I too started to get up when he kicked me hard in the gut. As I coughed and sputtered he laughed. "God look at you, fucking pussy. I never could stand you." Leaning down he whispered "I'll tell you a secret. The only reason I ever went after her was because I knew you wanted her. Hell it's the only reason I'm still with her and I'll continue to stay with her. Just that knowledge that every time you see me with her, it will kill you to know that she loves me and not you." 

Rolling onto my back I snickered "not after tonight. Kathryn will never have anything to do with you now." 

I felt like I was going to be sick when I heard that asshole's triumphant laugh again. "Is that what you think loser? The truth is what you did tonight, it won't even make a dent. Kathryn will come back to me, she always does. You think you know your beloved Kathryn but the truth is you don't have a clue who she really is." Grabbing me by the hair he forced me to look up as he added with a smug grin "I do." 

Letting go of me Jackson straightened himself out and then headed to the door. "I guess I should go make nice with the little women. See you around buddy." 

I continued to lay on the cold pavement as I heard the heavy door open and close. For the longest time I just laid there, my face and gut throbbing in pain as Jackson's words echoed in my head. At the moment I didn't care so much about my revenge or even Jackson really. I kept thinking about Kathryn wondering if I did truly know her. The girl from a few months ago, the girl who stood on this very balcony trading barbs with me would never take that loser back. That was the girl I was in love with. 

Pulling myself up to a sitting position I decided then and there if Kathryn did in fact dump Jackson I would do everything in my power to get her back. Fuck my pride. But if for some ungodly reason she truly couldn't see him for the asshole he was then I didn't want to have anything to do with her. Let her be Jackson's appendage for the rest of her life. I didn't care. 

Slowly I got to my feet and after a cigarette and unsuccessfully trying to clean off my face I headed back into the party. I got a few curious glances from guests but I didn't pay any attention. I focused instead of looking for Kathryn. As I crossed the room towards the back staircase I had no luck. Then out of the corner of my eye I noticed her behind a semi closed door in Jackson's study. She was leaning against his desk with her arms folded to her chest looking anything but pleased. I smiled and then started for her but suddenly I stopped. Jackson came up beside her and began to caress her arms. 

I couldn't watch. I knew what was coming next and I refused to see it played out and I refused to intervene. Nodding my head in understanding I turned and went for the door. The hands of fate had spoken. 

****** 

Fucking Blaine. 

Following the party I was so pissed about the way things went down I needed someone to blame. Naturally Tuttle came to mind seeing as he was the one who was pushing the revenge idea so much. So ignoring the pain in my face and possibly fractured ribs I drove out to his place right out side the city only to find he wasn't home. I flirted with the idea of hanging around, waiting till he got home and then beating the shit out of him but frankly I was just too tired to even try. 

Instead I found myself driving back home to my empty townhouse. As usual the parentals were nowhere to be found but for once I was glad of that fact. Having to deal with my fathers nagging questions and my mothers concern about my pummeled face was the last thing I needed. 

After going to the kitchen for an ice pack I somberly headed up to my room to crash. However when I opened the door and saw the figure sitting on my bed I suddenly stopped. "What fresh hell is this?" 

Kathryn sat poised on my bed as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Jesus, you look like shit." 

"Thank you" I replied sarcastically as I closed the door and approached the bed. "Complements of your boyfriend." 

She nodded "you probably did have it coming." 

"Kathryn there aren't enough words in the English language to express how much I am not in the mood for this right now." Groaning I got onto the bed and collapsed beside her. "Just tell me what you want and get out." 

She looked down at me, her face expressionless for a moment. Then suddenly she moved towards me and I was afraid she was going to hit me again. However she surprised me when she took the ice pack from my hand and gently placed it on my face. "Why didn't you ever tell me about Jackson and that Kovac bitch?" 

Somewhat confused by this sudden about face I stammered "I-I thought it didn't matter. You guys were broken up. I didn't want to hurt you" I added in a softer voice. 

Kathryn snickered "well apparently that sentiment went right out the fucking window." 

Scowling at her I grabbed the ice pack back and said "leave me alone. I'm sure you're boyfriend is wondering where you are." 

"I don't have a boyfriend" she replied evenly. When I glanced over at her in obvious surprise she asked "did you really think I would stay with him after what happened tonight?" 

Actually yeah. After what I saw a few hours earlier I was sure of it. But then again as I got to thinking about it, it occurred to me that I never did actually witness her taking him back. "I saw you talking to him" 

Kathryn looked away and explained "yeah he cornered me in there. Gave me a nice speech about how much he loved me and how she meant nothing. He wanted to start over from scratch. I told him to go to hell and then I kicked him in the balls." 

I smirked at that imagery. Now that was the Kathryn I knew and love and yet I wasn't quite willing to believe. "So you came to cry on his replacements shoulder." 

"Did you have a brain tumor for breakfast this morning?" she demanded icily. "If you reminded me anything of Jackson do you think I would want to be anywhere near you now? You're not Jackson's replacement-" 

"Then why did you say-" 

"Why do you think? God Valmont you just show up after three weeks. You let me leave London and you never called, not even once." 

"I'm nothing but a shallow playboy, remember?" I threw her words back in her face bitterly. 

"You lied and manipulated me, remember?" 

Looking up at the ceiling I shook my head and spat "I guess we're just fucked then." 

Kathryn sighed and started to get up. Before I knew what I was doing I reached out and grabbed her hand. She looked back at me and our eyes locked. Without a word an understanding seemed to be reached between the two of us. She would forgive my fuck ups and I would forgive hers. 

Sitting back on the bed Kathryn curled up beside me. Reaching for the ice pack she placed it gently on my face. We laid like that for a few minutes enjoying the comfortable silence. Having her so close and feeling so intimate, I suddenly couldn't feel the pain in my face anymore. 

"So" she sighed resting her head on my shoulder "are you still going to marry me?" 

I couldn't help but smile at the ridiculous question. Wrapping my free arm around her I pulled her to me and laughed. "I hate you." 

Kathryn nuzzled her face against my neck and giggled. "I hate you right back luv."  


That moment, just laying in bed next to the only girl who ever meant anything to me, might have been one of the happiest moments of my life. Everything made sense and it seemed we have our entire future ahead of us. 

And for awhile we were happy. We were everything we'd sworn long ago we wouldn't become. Two love stuck teenagers with their heads in the clouds. It seemed like nothing was going to stand in our way. Certainly not Jackson who would leave town a few weeks after that night. Everything was perfect. It was like a dream. 

But like all dreams however it would soon come to it's inevitable end. After all nothing lasts forever. Especially happiness. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	12. You Belong To Me

Trip On Love 

Summary: Three years later Kathryn and Sebastian celebrate their engagement. An unexpected party crasher brings news that could change everything between them. 

Chapter 12: You Belong To Me 

**_Almost 3 Years Later_**

"Do you think my parents would mind terribly if I skipped tonight's festivities?" 

Kathryn let out a dry chuckle as she emerged from her walk in closet with a strapless cream colored dress draped over her arm. "Not at all. So long as you don't mind giving up that hefty inheritance." 

I let out a pained groan because I knew she was right. My parents saw tonight as the end all, be all event of the year. If I missed it they would gladly cut me off for life. Throwing my head back against the satin lined couch dramatically I whined "I fucking hate this. All their tight assed friends, with their phony wishes of congratulations all the while they're talking behind our backs about how we're fucking up our future. I'm telling you Kathryn, I'd like to get a machete and execute every last one of them." 

"That's charming Sebastian" she replied sarcastically. Slowly Kathryn approached the couch with that sensual strut of hers. Standing in front of me she placed her knee between my legs and used the back of the seat for leverage as she leaned over me. She moved in close and I caught a quick glance down the robe she was wearing to see that she didn't have anything on underneath. Grabbing my face she tilted my head back until her mouth was brushing mine. With her eyes still open she kissed me, her mouth open, wet and wonderful. As she pulled away Kathryn purred "perhaps you should have thought of that before asking me to marry you." 

She laughed as she ran her finger across my lips and then got to her feet. My eyes narrowed and I smirked as she turned away to examine the dress she would wear that night. "Perhaps we should have eloped." 

Kathryn looked over her shoulder at me. "Bite your tongue." 

"Do it for me." 

"If you ever want to see me naked again Valmont you'll not only go to that party tonight but you'll also at least pretend to be pleasant." 

As she heading to the bathroom so she could finish grooming herself I reached out and grabbed her by the waist, inadvertently pulling her down on top of me. I moved her hair aside and draped her neck with kisses as my hand snaked underneath her blood red satin robe. Kathryn pretended to struggle against my amorous advances but her laughter gave her away. "Stop it, you're going to get be all dirty." 

"That's the idea" I murmured against her skin. 

She whimpered as her struggles dissolved to slow, deliberate movements against my groin. "I have to get ready or we're going to be late." 

Once again, that was the idea. I barely processed what she was saying as my senses we're far to overwhelmed by her. My hand dipped down between her open legs and massaged her thigh. I wondered if it would be possible to do this on the small but somewhat sturdy couch (hell we'd done it before) rather than staggering all that way over to her bed. Before I could give the matter any serious thought Kathryn untangled herself from me and stood up. As she walked to the bathroom she looked back at me and laughed. Obviously she was quite amused by the state she had left me in. Fully aroused, my new suit rumpled, and my face crest fallen like child who was denied his favorite toy. Bitch. If I didn't love her so much I would despise her. 

It had been nearly three years since the night of that infamous party. That evening had been the turning point in my relationship with Kathryn. Things had changed a great deal between us but it also seemed as if nothing had changed. 

Leaning forward on the couch I watched her as she stood before her vanity primping herself. Had Kathryn changed in all that time? Outwardly yes. Her hair was now longer and a twinge shade darker. She had also given up her 'diet tricks' as she referred to them (what normal people call bulimia) and her body lost that unattractive gaunt look which in turn caused her breasts to become more voluptuous. She no longer looked the part of a young girl but rather a women. Inwardly though Kathryn was still Kathryn. Calculating, cruel, and bitchy. She was also strong, smart, and warm if she knew no one but myself was watching. 

Our alliance, as we use to like to refer to it, was not immediate but rather tentative and cautious. Which was amusing given the fact that we were both usually so quick to act. However with our respective reputations on the line we both knew we had to tread lightly. 

Kathryn hadn't been eager to tarnish her good girl routine with the knowledge that she was involved with the biggest player in school and I too wasn't rushing to tell people I had committed myself to one girl. So we began to see each other but only in the most discreet manor possible. Unfortunately we ran within a small social circle that thrived on gossip like this. It was only a matter of time before we were outed. 

That being said our senior year wasn't so bad. By the first week of October everyone in Manchester, even the faculty, knew about my relationship with Kathryn. My annoyance with the situation had quickly given way to amusement. Didn't people have anything better to do than discuss a high school romance? Apparently not. Still it made things interesting. While Kathryn had to deal with all her little sheep whispering in her ear about what a horrible mistake she was making I contended with the 'senior sluts' as Kathryn so poetically named them. They seem to make it there life's duty to rid me of the spell I had been placed under. They were less than successful up until Eric Collins New Years Eve party. 

It's strange, I remember everything about our first real fight except what it had been about. Something concerning how we would spend spring vacation or some such nonsense, I couldn't recall. What I did remember was the anger and hatred I felt towards her in that moment, the venomous words that spewed out of her mouth and of course that damn party we were on our way to. When we arrived we both decided to spend the evening apart. While Kathryn stormed off to the other side of the house, no doubt to bad mouth me to anyone who would listen I allowed myself to be cornered by Gretchan Forester, a slutty cheerleader and former conquest of mine. Under the disguise that she wanted to practice for midnight she kissed me and I still feeling furious at Merteuil (as I referred to her when angry) kissed her back, in full view of the party. 

Of course the incident had eventually gotten back to Kathryn as I knew it would. At the end of the evening I went to collect her and found her in the second floor study with the host of that evening. She was sitting on a desk in front of him and Eric was standing between her open legs. As I stood silently in the doorway Kathryn looked at me over Eric's shoulder with contempt burning in her eyes. She pulled him into a kiss all the while keeping her eyes locked on to mine. Watching this display, even though I knew it was an act, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of jealousy that I hadn't felt since Jackson. Here was this loser, this nobody touching what I had long ago deemed as mine. She was mine. 

I suspected Kathryn knew all this and that's exactly why she did it. She was teaching me an important lesson that evening. You **_hurt_** me, I'll **_kill_** you. I got it. After literally pulling her out of that damn party we went back to my place and got into a screaming match that led to a round of rough and raw make up sex. The incident was never mentioned again. 

The rest of our high school days went by quickly. I took Kathryn to the prom (there's a sentence I thought I would never utter), we both got into Columbia, and we summered in Greece before starting school. College proved to not be all that different from high school. Different people but we still filled our same roles. Kathryn was the good girl and dating me was her latest act of charity. I was the bad boy working under the guise of apparent redemption. 

Our monogamy during this time amused us. While everyone still gossiped about whether or not I would remain faithful to her, even though at this point we had been together for years, we laughed about it for it was so...odd. Outside of that one evening neither one of us had ever been tempted. We both had made a pact long ago to tell the other if we were interested, even if it was just sexually, in someone else. For awhile it never happened and then HE came along. Professor Patrick. 

Now of course Kathryn didn't just come out and admit she wanted to bang him, no with her it was all in the subtleties. We both had Developmental Psychology with him. Right away I sensed her interest. Patrick was one of the youngest professor's on campus not to mention the most attractive. When he lectured I watched as that familiar predatory look flashed over Kathryn's eyes. A look that until that time had been reserved strictly for me. When I asked her if she wanted him she simply smiled slyly and replied "it could be interesting." 

From that point on I became obsessed with the notion of that dick coming anywhere near my girlfriend. Night and day it was all I could thing about. It got to the point where I decided to set up the opportunity to see if Kathryn would indeed cheat on me. I sent her to retrieve an old paper of mine from him when I knew the professor would be alone. I gave it some time before dropping by. Everything in me shattered when I walked in and found them kissing. Unlike the other time, which was strictly theatrical, this was real. 

She _wanted_ him. 

I had stormed out of his office with Kathryn following in behind. We got into a huge, public fight where I accidentally let it slip that I had set up the events that led to her betrayal. Kathryn called me jealous and childish. I called her a whore and promptly dumped her. At that point I thought it was honestly over between us. Then I returned to my apartment to find Kathryn. Preparing myself for another round of verbal sparring I was shocked when she threw her arms around me and pleaded for forgiveness. 

Now up to that point Kathryn never came to me after a fight. It was always the other way around. I was the one making apologizes even when it should have been her. Not this time however. Kathryn begged to the point of tears for me to take her back. She just kept repeating please and that she loved me. Normally such a show of emotion would turn me off but coming from Kathryn it just endeared her to me more. It was in that moment I knew I would marry her. 

The idea of marriage was never brought up between us except as a joke. It was of course our parents ultimate goal for us but it wasn't something we ever considered seriously. Deep down I was afraid of entering into a long term commitment with Kathryn. After all look at our parents. It wasn't exactly inspirational. I couldn't stand the idea of losing what I had with her. Kathryn was more than a girlfriend she was my closest friend and confident, the only person in this world I trusted. 

Which I suppose was the reason I asked her. The proposal hadn't been terribly romantic but then again neither were we. I simply asked her to marry me and promised she could go pick out her own ring. I expected her to want to think about it so I was pleasantly surprised when she agreed right away. 

Not surprisingly our parents had been thrilled at the news. My mother got started right away with planning the engagement party. I tried to tell her that we planned on having a long engagement and wouldn't marry until we graduated but the women wouldn't be stopped. Everyone else had a mixed reaction. Some acted like the marriage was to be expected, like it was known all along that Kathryn and I would marry. Others like that tight assed bitch Mrs. Caldwell, who's young daughter Cecile unbeknownst to her Kathryn and I ruined in high school, went around whispering that it wouldn't last. "I'll be surprised if they even make it to the alter let alone last a week." 

Whatever. 

I chuckled to myself as I reached into my jacket to retrieve my cigarette's. Let them say whatever they wanted, it didn't make a damn bit of difference. I would marry Kathryn. To hell with all of them. 

When I couldn't find my lighter I walked over to Kathryn's bed and opened up one of the drawers built into the alcove. I rummaged around the cluttered drawer for a pack of matches or something. I didn't find the matches but something equally explosive. It was a picture of Kathryn with Jackson. At his beach house. In California. 

It had been some time since I had even thought about Jackson. Following the night Kathryn broke up with him, he left New York and headed back to the west coast. Since then neither of us had any contact with him and never even mentioned him except for a few sporadic times and even then it was just to dis his so called career. Yes over the past years Jackson's status had been going swiftly down the shitter. Three of his last movies bombed and his television show was canceled after a few episodes. According to the tabloids he had been in and out of rehab but none of it was sticking. All of this just amused Kathryn and I further. Or at least it amused me. Right now I couldn't be too sure of her. 

"What the fuck?" I grumbled walking to the bathroom. 

Kathryn spun around "what is it?" 

I held up the picture for her to see. "Explain" 

Her eyes narrowed at the picture but her face betrayed little emotion. When she went to grab it out of my hand I held it out of her reach. Kathryn rolled her eyes and sighed "it's nothing, just an old picture." 

"Right" I replied evenly as I continued to hold the picture above her head and out of reach. "When did you two go to California?" 

She sighed "it was after you and I had that falling out in London. We spent a weekend at his place in Malibu. To you know...resolve things." 

"Resolve things?" 

Kathryn smirked and arched an eyebrow as if taunting me. Reaching up she snatched the picture out of my grasp and walked over to the bed. "You can't honestly still be a jealous?" 

"Jealous?" I spat like it was a dirty word. "Don't be absurd. I just don't like my fiancée carrying around pictures of old boyfriends. Especially burned out has-been like Maguire." 

She shrugged casually "I must have forgotten to throw it out. Anyway since you're not jealous what does it matter, right?" 

Standing before her I looked down into her emerald eyes and replied "right." 

Moving even closer to me she allowed her nose to brush against mine as she whispered "it's not like I have that picture in there on purpose. It's not like I think about him, dream about him, touch myself and think about him. Get wet when I-" 

Before she could finish that sentence I pushed her back on the bed. I knew she was baiting me and I shouldn't let her but I couldn't help myself. The mere image of those two made my blood boil. 

Reclining back on the bed, her legs spread lewdly as she rested on her elbows, Kathryn chuckled evilly like some wicked queen from a fairy tale. "Good thing you're not the jealous type." 

"Good thing I'm not the abusive type" I sneered back. 

"Oh that might be fun" she purred. Reaching forward she grabbed me by the tie and pulled me down on top of her. Clutching the back of my neck she crushed my mouth to hers for a lust filled kiss. When I broke away, breathless and throbbing with need, I looked into her eyes, as I had done hundreds upon thousands of times before and all was forgiven. My anger turned to mush and I knew I loved her. I would always love her. 

"You're mine" I whispered to her. "You belong to me." 

Usually Kathryn deplored such statements. I would think her normal response would be to tell me she belonged to no one. She might even get angry or worse yet aloof, but she was just full of surprises that evening. Instead this look passed over her face that couldn't be mistaken for anything but lust. "Say it again" she whispered back. 

I gripped her hair and tugged her head back. "You belong to me" I growled as I nipped at her neck savagely. 

"Again" she moaned withering underneath me. 

"You're mine." I pulled off her robe leaving her exposed as I make my way down her body. "These belong to me" I murmured as I sucked and fondled her heaving breasts. When I had Kathryn moaning under my touch I moved further still. I planted kisses on her stomach "this is mine." At last I was down to my favorite part. Spreading her legs even wider I caressed her mound and smiled at it admiringly. "And this most definitely belongs to me." I felt her shudder under my touch as if it was the first time. Far from it. At this point I could draw a detailed map of her cunt I know it so well. Yet like a Picasso it never loses its appeal. 

Grabbing me forcefully by the hair Kathryn pulled me back up to her and soon we're making out like it will be our last time. There was nothing loving or romantic about it but rather we're like two cats wrestling for dominance. Before I knew it was happened my pants were around my ankles and I was plunging inside her. She whispered nasty things in my ear as I clutched her ass and fucked her deep the way I know she likes. It wasn't long before her muscles contracted around me and pulled me in further. My cum hit spontaneously with hers. Kathryn's hips rocked desperately against mine as she milked me for every last drop. When I was eventually sedate I collapsed on top of her breathlessly and she made my absolute favorite sound in the world, a soft satisfied whimper. 

We laid like that for a little while, laughing about how soar we'll be the next day. Finally Kathryn pushed me off of her and rolled over on her stomach. "I should call my mother and tell her we might be late." 

Glancing over I noticed as she picked up the phone she grabbed the picture of her and Jackson and crinkled it up in her hand. The knowledge that he is firmly in the past where he belongs, along with the fact that her warm, sweaty body is still partially clinging to mine caused me to stir once again. Leaning forward I kissed her naked shoulder and whispered "tell her we're going to be _very_ late." 

****** 

"Don't do it" 

Sipping the expensive champagne as if it were water I couldn't help but smile at the statement. "Why Tuttle, I thought you'd reserve such advice until the ceremony." 

He shook his head adamantly. "I'm serious Valmont. You need to think this through. You can't marry her. I mean it's Kathryn for Christ sakes. _Kathryn_?!" 

I might have taken him seriously if he hadn't been reeking of pot and if he wasn't, well Blaine. No one outside of myself took my reputation as seriously as he did. Tuttle, while openly gay, had no intentions of ever settling down and he expected the same of me. My engagement came as a massive disappointment to him to say the least. It had nothing to do with Kathryn, at least I didn't think it did. Those two had a strange relationship that started long before I came into the picture. I never asked. 

"Look" I sighed with little patience. "The ring is already on her finger. It's going to happen." 

"Why?! Come on Valmont, do you want to give up everything to become that little bitches...bitch?"  


Before I could respond to that Kathryn came up beside us. "What's going on?" 

My eyes shot to Blaine and I soundlessly told me one thing: keep your fucking mouth shut. Getting the idea he simply shrugged at Kathryn's question. My fiancee looped her arm around mine and looked up at me expectantly for an answer. "It's nothing" I replied flatly. 

Blaine smirked back at Kathryn as if to say it very well was something. She smiled pleasantly and I had a sneaking suspicion she knew what we were talking about. "Sebastian have I ever told you the story about me and Blaine at the homecoming dance freshman year?" 

As I opened my mouth to reply Blaine suddenly interjected. "Well I have to get going. Lovely party Kathryn. I wish you two all the happiness in the world. Bye-bye" 

He turned abruptly and left. The smile Kathryn had plastered on her face fell and she hissed "evil little queer." 

I laughed and wrapped my arms around her from behind. "What happened at homecoming?" 

She snickered leaning back against me. "That's a story for another night and trust me you're no where drunk enough to hear it yet." 

"Fair enough" I murmur in her ear. "Now what do you say we get out of here. I've been a good boy all evening. I deserve a little naughty time with my soon to be wife." 

"Valmont the party started an hour ago. Pace yourself." 

It sure as hell felt a lot longer than that. "Come on Kathryn" I whined. "I'm not sure how much more of this I can take." 

She turned around then and drew my mouth close to hers. "Tell you what" she whispered "if you can go another hour, acting civil and charming I'll take you into your old bedroom and give you a reward." 

"Be more specific." 

Pulling me even closer she whispered in my ear "I'll suck you off until you blow your wad down my throat." 

My eyebrows shot up. "That will do" 

Kathryn rolled her eyes "you're so easy." 

I laughed and kissed the top of her head affectionately. As I looked up I noticed something across the room that made my stomach turn: my parents and Tiffani Merteuil clinking their glasses together in victory. "Good god will you look at them."  


Kathryn turned around and her face soon mirrored my own. "I know, they're so happy. It's disgusting." 

"They're gloating" 

"It would almost be worth it to call the whole thing off" she sighed. "If only to see the looks of their faces when they got the news." 

Leaning her head back against my chest I laughed. "Now there's an idea." Someone else was huddled among the happy trio that I hadn't noticed before. She was a young, pretty, blond that had Kathryn's eyes. "Who's that?" 

"My cousin Haley. She's a slut" she explained flatly. "Stay away from her." 

"Why, don't you trust me?" 

Kathryn turned around to face me. Straightening my tie she replied "I don't trust her. Little Haley has a tendency to try and get her grubby little hands on what is mine. She's a gold digging, slutty, little cow." 

"So I take it a threesome's out of the question then?" 

She gave me an even smile as she yanked on my tie and gave me a kiss. I was surprised seeing as Kathryn wasn't big on public display's of affection but I wasn't going to complain. "I'm going to go mingle" she told me as she pulled away. "Try to stay out of trouble." 

For the next hour I did as I'm told. When my parents friends came up to me I smiled and thanked them for their well wishes instead of telling them off. I was charming, complacent and acted as though I was happy to be there when in actuality all I was thinking about was the promise blow job I would receive later. 

I noticed Kathryn chatting with my grandparents across the room and I was about to go collect her when something...unexpected happens. The band, which my parents hired for the evening suddenly stopped playing and a hush started to fall over the crowd as a familiar voice called out "hey, can I have everyone's attention? I'd like to make a toast." 

There was a distinct murmur though the crowd and when I looked up I saw why. There, standing on the stage in a tux, was Jackson. I was so stunned I wasn't sure what to feel first. My eyes immediately went to Kathryn who was staring up at her ex just as stupefied as I felt. I started to charge up to the stage but I quickly reminded myself that now was not the time to cause a scene. Not yet anyway. 

"Now some of you might recognize me from my films" he said with just the slightest bit of a slur. I was thinking he was just going to humiliate himself by bringing up past glories but he quickly proved me wrong. "You might also recognize me as Kathryn's ex boyfriend." 

Jackson chuckled to himself as if he had made a joke. Meanwhile somewhere in the room I heard Tiffani call out for security. For once I was in agreement with the bitch. "I was also Sebastian's best friend. How's that for irony? Anyway no hard feeling" he said his eyes now locked on mine. "I just wanted to raise my glass and toast the happy couple. To Kathryn, you soulless, blackmailing little whore and to Valmont. Good luck, you're going to need it. Especially when you finally discover all the shit she's done to you. You think I'm an asshole? Just you wait until-" 

Jackson was suddenly cut off when two burly, well dressed security guards grabbed him and dragged him from the stage. I watched with anger and confusion trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about. Was it just the alcohol talking or was there more to it? 

As the party started up again I looked over at Kathryn still standing across the room. My grandparents were trying to talk to her but her attention was focused on me. Her face was as usual unreadable but there was something else in her eyes. Anger? Fear? Worry? I didn't know. 

In the end I decided to just forget the whole incident. It meant nothing, right? I was completely wrong. 

****** 

"Oh...Kathryn...Kathryn...KATHRYN..." 

I came as I screamed out the last word and thrust my hips forcefully against her face. This might have been a dangerous maneuver had it been with any other girl but this was Kathryn. She had elevated this particular sexual act to another level entirely. Sucking cock was her art form. 

After I came she cleaned me up and tucked me back into my pants while I fell back onto the bed in exhaustion. We were in my old bedroom a place that had seen its fair share of action. Especially from us. I took a minute to catch my breath before looking down to find Kathryn still kneeling before me on the floor. She was looking down at the hard wood floor lost in thought. 

It occurred to me we hadn't said anything to each other since she pulled me out of the party and back to the old bedroom for the promise blow job. I honestly hadn't been expecting it after Jackson's spectacle. I hadn't even asked her what she thought about it yet. As I watched Kathryn I realized that perhaps this whole intimate encounter hadn't been so much for my benefit but for her own as well. It wasn't until much later I realized how right I was. It was a strategic act of defense if ever there was one. 

I sat up on my elbows and watched as she got to her feet and straightened herself up. "Well" I sighed "aren't we going to talk about it?" 

Kathryn looked back at me hesitantly. "Talk about what?" I wasn't about to dignify her absurd question with an answer. I stared her down and eventually she rolled her eyes and exclaimed "what is there to say?" 

"I don't know" I replied sitting up suddenly. "Let's start with what the hell was that asshole talking about?" 

"How should I know? He was drunk!" 

Standing before her I crossed my arms to my chest. "Not good enough." 

"Well it will have to be." She started for the door but I quickly pulled her back. "Kathryn what the hell is going on?!"  


Her eyes went wide at my sudden anger. I could tell even then she was trying to tell me something but she was wrestling with herself over it. Finally she spoke, in a shaky voice that sounded so odd coming from the girl usually so in control. "It's...it...I'll tell you..." 

"Okay" I nodded. 

"After I say good bye to our guests" 

I rolled my eyes upwards and groaned in frustration. "Kathryn, fuck the guests. I want to know now." 

Taking a step forward she took my hand and gently touched my face. Her eyes burning into mine she said "I'll tell you later. I promise." Kathryn leaned forwards and kissed me briefly before pulling away. This time I let her leave even though what I really wanted to do was hold her down and force her to tell me the truth. 

With a sigh I walked over to the bar which the maids were still keeping stocked even though I no longer lived there. As I was reaching for the scotch I suddenly became aware that I wasn't alone. Slowly I sat the heavy crystal container down and turned around just as Jackson walked off my balcony. "What the fuck do you think you're doing here?" I demanded. 

He smirked smugly as he leaned against my desk. "I was just enjoying the view. It's been a long time. I almost forgot how talented Kathryn was on her knees." 

I wasn't sure what made my skin crawl more: the fact that Jackson had been spying on us during that moment of intimacy or the fact that there was once a time when he was in that very place with Kathryn. I wasn't about to dwell on it. Charging over to him I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to the door. "OUT! Get the fuck out of my house!" 

Pushing me away he laughed. "Hold on a second buddy. I don't think you want to do that just yet." 

"I'm not your buddy" I sneered "and I think I very much want to do that." 

"Really? Even if I let you in on Kathryn's deep dark secret. The one she's been keeping from you for years?" 

I considered this for a moment, but only a moment. I knew what ever he wanted to tell me it was a lie. Shaking my head at him I went to the door and opened it. "I don't care. Now get out before I-" 

"It concerns your bet" 

My eyes met his and slowly I found myself closing the door. Trying to keep calm I asked "what bet?" 

Jackson grinned obviously loving every second of this. "The wager you and Kathryn made over me. You didn't think I knew about that did you?" He snickered "I knew about it, I also know it was rigged. You see buddy, Kathryn and I were playing you all along..." 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	13. So Much For the Afterglow

Trip On Love 

Summary: Sebastian finally learns the whole truth about Kathryn's past with Jackson. When the dust eventually settles nothing will be the same. 

Authors Note: Sorry for the lack of updates but I've been having massive computer problems along with other life issues so I haven't had time to write. Hopefully I'll get the final chapter of Who Are You up this weekend and also an update for Cruel Intentions: The Serial. Please read and review! 

Chapter 13: So Much For the Afterglow 

"What's the matter Valmont, cat got your tongue?" Chuckling Jackson turned around and picked up an older, framed picture of Kathryn. "Or perhaps just your balls?" 

I couldn't understand what he was saying. It didn't make any sense. There was no way he could know about our bet. He had to be lying. As I watched him standing mere feet away, gazing at a picture of MY fiancee with this smug satisfied smile on his face I knew I wanted to kill him. Years of resentment combined with the fact that he was now trying to destroy the one thing that ever brought me any happiness and love, made me leap at him. I grabbed at his throat and started to squeeze. "You're a fucking liar" I snarled as we crashed back against the arm chair. 

Jackson coughed and struggled away. "I knew you couldn't handle the truth." 

I attempted to squeeze him even harder but even half drunk Jackson was stronger than me. As he pushed me up against the back wall I lost my grip and let go of him. He might have tried to hit me but he was too busy catching his breath. "I knew...I knew all along about your bet with Kathryn. You want to know how? Come on loser" he taunted "ask me how?" 

"Shut up" I snarled back determined to not pay the slightest bit of worry to what he was saying. "I don't believe a single word out of your mouth." 

Taking a step towards him I was about to finish what I started earlier when the bedroom door swung open. Kathryn came in a look of annoyance of her face. "Hey you can't hide in here forever. If I have to make nice with those assholes so do you." 

Jackson who had been standing unseen behind her snickered and suggested "or better yet why don't you ask Kathryn how I know." 

She spun around at the sound of her ex's voice. "What the hell are you still doing here?" she demanded angrily. "I thought I had you thrown out." 

"Oh yes you did" Jack spat. "You had mommy's big bad security men clean up your mess for you as per usual. Only this time you're not going to be able to rid yourself of this mistake so easily princess. Now I was just about to fill in Valmont about your dirty little secret. The one you were trying so hard to-" 

"Shut your fucking mouth!" she screamed. "You have till the count of three to get out of here or else I'm calling the police." 

"Go ahead" he chuckled "it won't stop me from getting the truth out." Kathryn turned on her heels and opened the door. She stuck out her head and started to yell when Jackson told her "I was just letting our good friend Sebastian in on how you've been playing him all along. Of course he thinks I'm lying. Poor boy in so head over ass in love with you he's letting his normally good instincts fall to the way side." 

Kathryn slowly turned around and her eyes met mine. Right away I recognized this look of fear pass through them. It was the same look I saw than night she came to me and begged me for forgiveness. It was a look I wouldn't forget as long as I live. However I couldn't tell if she was scared because she feared the truth coming out or if it was just the possibility that Jackson's lie would damage her in my eyes. I refused to believe she had been lying to me all these years. It just wasn't possible. 

Shaking her head slowly Kathryn told me "he's lying. He's just trying to ruin what we have." 

"Am I?" Jackson taunted her. "Sebastian why don't you ask her about the big secret she's keeping from you. You know the one she promised to tell you about later. Come on Valmont you use to be smarter than this. You know she's keeping something from you. Ask her." 

Right then Kathryn flinched and I swear to god my heart stopped. He was telling the truth. The scum sucking low life was telling me the truth. I stumbled back and shook my head at her too shocked and dumb founded to strike out at her just then. Kathryn strode up to me, and gripped my hands. She was shaking, Kathryn never shook. "Please" she pleaded with me. "Just forget about him. Let's just forget he ever came here tonight." 

Jackson snorted "I don't really see that happening Kat. " 

"GET OUT!!" she bellowed . Kathryn turned around and grabbed Jackson roughly by the arm. She attempted to pull him out the door but he wouldn't budge. 

"No I think I want to stay" he told her as he pushed her away. "I want to hear you tell him the whole truth, about _us_." 

"There is no US!" she screamed. "Now get out, just-" 

"Come on tell him the truth, he wants to hear it don't you Valmont. Tell him about California, about how we rigged the bet-" 

"Stop it" Kathryn begged him now of the verge of tears. "Just please stop if you ever- 

Jackson interrupted her pleading by scornfully saying "tell him how you set him up to fall in love with you just so you could break his heart and be with me." 

She looked down at the ground, her body now gently shaking as she cried. "Just go" she whispered to him. 

Jackson either took pity on her or realized that the game was no longer fun finally grabbed his jacket and complied. He took one last look at me then back at Kathryn. "It didn't have to be this way you know" he whispered to her as he headed out the door. 

After the heavy wood door shut behind him I watched dazed as Kathryn tried to pull her self together. She was getting ready for spin control and the thought turned my stomach all the more. I wasn't the man she loved but rather someone she had to _deal with_. Turning back to me she wiped her damp eyes. "Sebastian..." 

I held up my hand to silence her. Turning away from her I finally let Jackson's words sink in. They didn't make sense but in a way I knew they had. Looking back to that time nearly three years ago I thought about all the odd things I had brushed aside. Jackson's ability to show up just when Kathryn and I were getting close, his rampant jealousy when she moved in with me, the night I got wasted and noticed Kathryn trying to talk him out of sneaking into my room and all the other weird coincidences I hadn't put together until that moment. The more I thought about it the more I wanted to throw up. 

Leaning against the edge of the bed I groaned "I think I'm going to be sick." 

Immediately she was by my side, her hand gently caressing my lower back. Ignoring my nausea I spun around and threw her hand off of me. "Don't.Fucking.Touch. Me" 

"Okay" Kathryn backed away timidly. I must have been scaring her since normally this was a girl who backed down from nothing. "What do you want?" 

"I want you to tell me the truth" 

"No you don't" she replied softly. 

"Yes I do! I want the truth now Kathryn or else I'm walking out that door and I swear to god you will never see me again." 

She took a seat in the armchair sitting away from me. "You're going to anyway" she sighed. 

Shaking my head angrily I headed for the door determined to leave and never look back. However just as I was grasping the handle Kathryn called out "we met in California." 

I stopped and looked back at her. Even though this was what I wanted I feared hearing it. "Go on" 

Her eyes darted down to the floor as she explained "that picture you found of us this afternoon, it was taken before the start of that summer. Mother and I went down to Malibu during spring break. While she was off playing with the cabana boy I was left to entertain myself. Jackson was shooting a film at the same hotel we were staying at. We met and got involved..." 

Kathryn looked up at me then and slowly I sat down in the seat across from her. A realization was sinking in. "So he did get to you before I did?" 

"It wasn't like that" 

"But you _fucked_ right?" I demanded harshly. 

She nodded "yes. During that time I started to fall for him. It was the first time sex ever meant anything to me. I knew it was dumb, especially since Jackson was seeing that insipid red head at the time, but I couldn't help myself. I was in love with him." 

"How touching" I spat sarcastically. "Mommy dearest must have been pleased." 

"She hated it" Kathryn replied flatly as she got to her feet and looked out the large picture window. "Once she discovered that I was actually serious about him she had the maid pack up our things and we were on the next flight to New York. I was livid, I screamed at her the whole way home but all she said was, Jackson wasn't for me. She would not have her daughter dating some actor. She didn't care how famous he was." 

For a moment I actually found myself thankful for Tiffani's interference. "Anyway" she continued on "Jackson and I kept in touch. He promised he would be with me soon and my mother would no longer be a problem. I believed him until one day I came home from school and overheard a conversation between my mother and yours. They were discussing a wedding. More to the point they were discussing our wedding. I couldn't believe it, she wanted me to marry you." 

"Imagine that. You must have been angry." 

Looking back at me she stated matter of faculty "I hated you." 

For some reason this surprised me most of all. Standing up quickly I strode over to the desk and lit a cigarette. "This is exactly what a groom wants to hear the night of his engagement party." 

"I can stop if you want. We can just forget-" 

"No" I replied quickly. "I want the truth, all of it." 

Kathryn nodded and leaned back against the window. A wistful smile crossed over her sad face. "You know I use to have a crush on you." I looked up at her somewhat stunned. "Oh come on you had to know" she prodded. When I shook my head no she replied "I did. When we first met at that party I was completely smitten with you. I never acted on it because...well lets face it your reputation wasn't exactly stellar. Then one day you drove me home and I invited you in. I was planning on taking you back to my but then we-" 

"Walked in on our parents going at it all over the living room floor." 

She shook her head sullenly "after that I didn't care what my mother thought but I didn't think you'd want to have anything to do with me anymore. So I kept my distance and you and I became friends of sorts but in the back on my head I always assumed it would happen between us some day. It was a given. Funny thing was if I had heard about my mothers desires for our marriage before I went to California I would probably have been thrilled." 

For a moment as I watched her framed against the window, I could forget about everything that happened. I forgot how she betrayed me but then I would blink and it would all come rushing back to me. Looking away from her I took a long drag off my cigarette and replied "but that's not what happened." 

"No I thought I loved Jackson and as far as I was concerned you were an obstacle that needed to be moved. I told him about my mothers plans but I didn't tell her who with. I didn't even know you two knew each other. A week later Jackson called me and told me he was coming to the city for the summer. He was going to make sure that we would be together." 

"How chivalrous of him" 

Kathryn ignored my comment and continued on. "Anyway on the night of his welcome home party we decided to pretend we didn't know each other, just in case it got back to my mother that we were together. I ran into you on the balcony that night and you surprised me with that fact that you already knew Jackson. I asked him about it after I talked to you but he shrugged it off and told me he'd fill me in later. Then I found him later that night..." 

I looked over at her in surprise "you found him with Guinevere." 

"About five minutes after you had. I stumbled into the study and there you were, looking as angry as I felt. Then we made that bet. I didn't even know why I agreed to it. I just thought it might come in useful later on. It wasn't until the following morning that I found out just how. See Jackson snuck into my bedroom, with flowers and he apologized. He said he was drunk and blah, blah, blah. I had hardly been celibate since the last time we'd seen each other so I didn't hold it against him. Then he told me about his history with you." 

"That must have been enlightening." 

Kathryn walked over to the desk and leaned against it. "Take your hatred for him and multiply it by about a hundred then you have a rough estimate of how much he despised you. When he found out you were who my mother wanted me to marry he completely lost it. He vowed to make sure that never happened. I told him about our bet and he got excited. Jackson was convinced there was something in your journal that we could use to destroy you and make sure the supposed engagement never happened. We were going to play it out until you believed he was in love with me." 

"So our bet was a set up all along?" Putting out my cigarette on the desk I replied "well done. I never saw it coming." 

"Sebastian-" 

"What about Charlotte? Was this Jack's way of getting rid of her too?" 

Kathryn smiled "no that was mine. Jackson had no idea I was setting him up. I knew that as long as she was in the picture I could never have Jackson so I removed her or at least I thought I had." 

My eyes narrowed at her. "You didn't really think I'd let you win so easily?" 

"Of course not but I didn't think you would make it so hard either. I didn't expect myself to develop feelings for you." 

"Poor you" I quipped sarcastically. "That must have been really tough stringing me and Jackson along." 

"You think I enjoyed it?" she hissed. "I hated it. Lying to you and having to deal with Jackson's erratic jealousy, it wasn't fun. I thought it would all be over the night of your parents engagement party. That was the night we planned for him to tell you he was in love with me. However a couple nights before we had a fight and I wasn't sure he would go through with it. When I asked you that night and you told me what he said I believed you. I honestly thought he didn't love me." 

"So you settled for the conciliation prize right?!" I yelled clutching the end of the desk and I leaned over and screamed at her. "You couldn't have him so you took me to bed instead?" 

"It wasn't like that!" she yelled back. "That was the best night of my life!" When I regarded her with surprise she looked away from me as if embarrassed. "It had never been like that before. I felt something...I-I fell in love with you but at the same time I still had feelings for Jack. It freaked me out that I could feel so much so I tried to put as much distance between us as possible. Jackson came to me a few days later and apologized for not going through with it. He told me he loved me and that instead of following through on the bet he wanted to steal the journal from you." 

"You know he didn't want to follow through on the bet because he knew admitting he loved you to me would mean defeat. He would look like a pussy if he did that and we both know Jack would rather die than look weak." 

Kathryn snickered "you two really did see me as some sort of chess piece didn't you?" 

"Oh please cut the self righteousness! You are hardly the victim in this little scenario." 

"Maybe not" she agreed "but I wasn't plotting against you. Look when Jackson told me he loved me and I didn't respond right away he started to figure out I had doubts. He called me on having feelings for you. Right away he made it known that if I ever left him he would make sure you knew that I been lying to you all along. I knew you would hate me so I didn't see any other choice than to stay with Jack. When he told me he wanted to steal your journal I agreed to help." 

"That night I got wasted and passed out in your room I remember seeing him there. He was trying to get into my room but you talked him out of it." 

"I didn't want to marry you but I didn't want you hurt either so I made up excuses. Jackson wondered why until he walked in on us at the opera. Until then he hadn't know anything physical had gone on between us. That night after he ran out I tracked him down and he was completely livid. He called me a whore and like some pathetic creature instead of telling him to go to hell I pleaded with him to take me back. Oh he loved that of course. Even then I think he knew that I loved you. Of course he wanted to hurt me as much as humanly possible so he said that if I wanted to be with him I had to break your heart. Jack didn't just want me to dump you he wanted me to get you to admit you loved me and then break you as cruelly as I could." 

Thinking back to that fateful night that I had set in motion I remembered "you threw yourself at me. You were trying to make me push you away, why?" 

Kathryn threw me a look as if to say, wasn't it obvious? "I didn't want to hurt you but I didn't know how I felt. Everything was just a mess so I thought if I could just get away for a little while...After you turned me down I made arrangements to go to London for the rest of the summer. I hadn't expected you to follow me. I was genuinely shocked to find you there." She smiled "I was happy. I thought this could be our chance to be together without my mother or Jackson around. To see if we would be good together." 

Looking away from her I admitted "we were." 

"Yes, it was perfect. Only what I didn't know what that Jackson was in town also. He found out we were together and tried to get in touch with me but I wouldn't take his calls. Then he stole your wallet and had us arrested. The morning after, I awoke and you were gone and he was there. We fought and he told me that I would never be happy with you, he wouldn't allow it. He said he loved me and he knew I loved him. If I tried to end things with him he would tell you the truth about everything. You would hate me and I would be alone. He didn't make it sound like blackmail but I knew that was what it was. I didn't think you would ever understand so I did what he wanted." 

Slowly I looked back at her. "You're telling me that, that entire fight in London you staged? You made me think you hated me, you let me pour my heart out to you, you burned my fucking journal-" 

"I did it for you! I knew if Jackson got his hands on it he would use it to damage you!" 

"Trust me you already damaged me enough all ready!" 

"I thought I was doing what was best for you Sebastian. I was determined to keep my distance from you for good this time but then you showed up at that party. It wasn't until that moment on the terrace I realized the mistake I had made. All along I had put my faith and love into a guy who was using me just to pay back a grudge. Jackson never loved me, not like you did. And I could never love him like I loved you. When you saw us in the study that night he was trying to convince me other wise but this time he couldn't. I told him I was going back to you and that if he ever tried to interfere or if he ever exposed what happened between us I would make sure everyone knew about him and Ms. Kovac. I would make it my personal mission to ruin his career. He backed off and we hadn't heard from him since...until tonight that is." 

"That must have been terribly inconvenient for you" I responded dryly. 

Kathryn sighed as she walked over and stood in front of me. Touching my cheek gently she forced me to look into her face. "I know you're angry and you don't think you can forgive me but it's in the past. It doesn't matter how we got here Sebastian, it only matter that we're here now. Come on, I loved Jackson for a few months. I've loved you for years. You can't throw that away." 

She leaned up as if to kiss me and I stopped her before she got too close. "Nice try" I whispered coldly. Before she could reply I pushed her back gruffly causing Kathryn to fall into the chair behind her. "I can't even stand to look at you right now, let alone have you touch me. Never mind the fact that you lied to me over and over again, but instead of telling me the truth tonight you just tried all the more harder to cover it up! Tell me if Jackson hadn't come here, would you have ever told me the truth?" 

Kathryn said nothing, she just looked away. "That's what I thought." 

"I wasn't going to risk losing you" she explained. "Not to this, to him." 

"You just did" I told her as I turned and headed for the door. 

"Sebastian!" she called after me. "Please don't leave! Please I love you" 

As I got to the door I could feel her arm on mine. I knew that if I turned around and saw her pleading I might be tempted to forgive her but I took the chance anyway. I was surprised when I turned back to her and felt no such feelings of warmth or forgiveness. Coldly I removed her hand and replied "I don't care." 

Without another word I turned away from her for a final time and walked out the door. 

****** 

I'd like to say that after I learned the truth about the supposed love of my life I went out and did something profound and meaningful afterwards but no I did what all hurt and angry males do. I went out, got wasted, and fucked another girl. 

Any girl would probably have done the trick but I had the misfortune of running into Haley, Kathryn's 'slut' cousin at a bar near my parents house. Apparently she had skipped out of the party early in order to find some real fun. She started flirting with me right away when she realized I was engaged to her cousin. After a few shots I admitted to her that I had more or less broken things off with Kathryn. I was too hammered to remember what happened next but given the fact that I woke up the next morning naked in bed beside the pretty blond it wasn't hard to reach to the next logical conclusion. 

"Morning" she greeted me with surprising perkiness. 

"Uh huh" I grumbled as I rolled over onto my side away from her. 

"I'm starving, do you mind if I help myself to some breakfast?" 

"Whatever" 

I rubbed my face against the soft pillow as I heard her get up from the bed and exit the room. Once I was sure I was alone I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. Surprisingly I wasn't feeling the after affects of a hangover, not the alcohol induced variety anyway. No the first thing I thought about as I woke up that morning was of course Kathryn. 

Most of last night I racked my brain trying to recall any instances that might have gone unnoticed that would have pointed to Kathryn's betrayal. I couldn't find any. Then again perhaps they were there all along but I was too brainwashed by love to notice. Maybe I didn't want to notice. 

The more I thought about it I realized it wasn't so much the lying that bothered me as it was the fact that Jackson shared this secret with her. For the past couple of years I had been walking around thinking that I had everything when he had nothing. All along he was carrying around this time bomb just waiting to throw it at me and blow my world apart. 

As I laid there in bed all I could do was picture Kathryn and Jackson together. It started to make me feel ill (or perhaps that hangover was kicking in after all) so I sprung up from the bed and quickly got dressed. I could hear Haley singing along in the radio in the next room and I was desperate to get out of there before she could corner me. 

There was also another reason I was anxious to leave. I lived in a penthouse apartment near school that Kathryn practically lived in as well. She had a key and undoubtedly would come looking for me there. I had to get out before she arrived. Quietly I crept to the door and as I started to open it slowly, I heard two familiar voices arguing in the hallway. Peaking out the crack in the door I spotted Kathryn with her back to me down the hall and Jackson standing close to her. 

"I'm not having this conversation with you now" she hissed angrily as she moved away from him. "I have nothing left to say to you." 

Jackson cornered her against the wall. "You can't honestly expect that he's going to forgive you after everything you've done. Face it baby, it's over." 

"He loves me" she replied confidently. 

"It doesn't matter. From now on whenever he looks at you all he's going to see in the girl who betrayed him with his worst enemy. Just let it go Kathryn and come back to me." 

"Never" 

Kathryn started towards my door when he pulled her back to him. He whispered something in her ear that I couldn't hear but it made her squirm away from him. As angry as I was all my instincts were screaming at me to jump to her defense. I hated watching him paw her like that so without thinking I stepped loudly out into the hall. Both of them spun around in surprise at my presence. "Well don't let me interrupt" I deadpanned. 

"Sebastian I wanted to talk to you-" 

"And you decided to bring Jack along in case, what? Things didn't work out and you'd have a back up plan?" 

Kathryn looked distastefully in Jackson's direction. "I didn't bring him, he followed me. Apparently since he can't get any movie offers he's taken up stalking as a new career path." 

"I'm just tagging along to watch as the final nail is drilled into the coffin of this pathetic little relationship you two have going." 

"Fuck off before I call the cops" I sneered at him. 

Jackson shrugged casually as he leaned against the wall. "Go ahead." 

"Sebastian please" Kathryn sighed "can we just go inside and talk for a..." 

She trailed off as something behind my back caught her attention. Slowly I turned to find Haley, who I had completely forgotten about up until that point, standing behind me in one of my robes. "Hey, I just going to ask if you wanted to join me in the shower but apparently you're busy. Hello Kathryn" 

Kathryn seemed too stunned to answer her and for a split second I felt remorse for my actions. She honestly hadn't seen this coming. My attention was so focused on Kathryn I hadn't paid any attention to Haley but Jackson did. "He's in the middle of something at the moment honey but I'm sure he'll join you shortly." 

I dimly heard the door close as I watched Kathryn's eyes fall to the floor. "Well done Valmont" Jack remarked cheerfully. "Did you wait a whole hour after your tiff with you fiancee before hooking up with her cousin or just thirty minutes?" 

Before I could reply Kathryn finally spoke. "You son of a bitch" she breathed. She then turned and pushed past Jackson as she strode up to the elevator. 

She smacked the button with her hand and I quickly came up behind her and grabbed her arm. Forcing her around to look at me I demanded "how does it feel? Huh, how does it feel to have everything you thought you could trust and believe in pulled out from underneath you? What I did last night it's nothing compared to what you did to me." 

The elevator doors opened and Kathryn pulled out of my grasp. As she stepped inside she sunk against the opposite wall. "So I take it our engagement is off then?" I asked in a bored tone of voice 

Slowly she brought her head up and as she did I realized she was crying. Shaking her head bitterly Kathryn tugged the diamond engagement ring off her finger and threw it at me. "I hate you" she whispered. 

Catching the ring I replied mockingly "right back at you sweetheart." 

As the doors closed I turned around to find Jackson still leaning against the wall obviously loving every moment of the havoc he caused. Before he could open his mouth to speak I chucked the ring at him and spat "she's all yours." 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	14. Queen Of the Damned

Trip On Love 

Summary: Kathryn and Sebastian meet up four months later and find that no one is quite ready to forgive and forget. 

Chapter 14: Queen Of the Damned 

Pretend you're me. One day you discover that the supposed love of your life has been keeping secrets from you for the past three years. When you confront her over this she admits that she never had any intentions of telling you the truth. So you leave her and break off the engagement even though it kills you to do so. Then after a night of meaningless sex with some meaningless girl she finds out about it and decides **she's** breaking up with **you**. Not only does she leave you feeling miserable for what you've done and what she's done, she also takes your balls away by making herself the injured party. After all this, the question is: now that your life is over how do you plan on spending the rest of your days? 

Well if you're me you get the hell out of town. Seeing as it took all of about ten minutes for the whole of New York society to find out about the decline of my personal life, it was only a matter of minutes before my mother started calling. Then Tiffani Merteuil. They were both of course blaming me for the break up and I was in no mood to tell them other wise. Let them think what they wanted it didn't change anything. 

After a week of dogging my mothers phone calls and hoping I didn't inadvertently run into Kathryn when I was out, I came to the conclusion that I needed to get out of the city and fast. So I left a quick, vague message for my mother and took off for Europe. I spent my days traveling, drinking, fucking, doing everything I could think of to forget the mess my life had become. Needless to say it didn't work and all I really managed to accomplish was a massive hangover. 

Then three months later while I was visiting an old friend in Greece I happened to notice this girl on the beach one day. She was exquisite with perfect blond hair, a perfectly petite body and a beautiful face. To top it off she possessed a poise and elegance that went way beyond her young years. Now a few earlier this girl would have gone completely unnoticed by me but in that moment she was like a bright shinning beacon. She was in fact the perfect Kathryn clone. 

Of course had my ex fiancee been present she most likely would not have agreed. True she was a blond but she still had that same air of sophistication and superiority that Kathryn had. That was what I wanted. I didn't give a shit about her hair color. 

Her name was Megan Reynolds and as it so happened she too came from Manhattan. While I didn't recognize her she knew all about me and my former girlfriend. As luck would have it Kathryn dated her brother Court in high school while she attended boarding school in France. She was on holiday with her aunt when we met. I easily played the part of the broken hearted guy (all the while keeping my real pain and motivations hidden) and got her into bed. I also quickly discovered that while Megan might have many of the same qualities as Kathryn she was also lacking quite a few. She wasn't as quick witted, sexually aggressive or nearly as confident as my ex but she still managed to hold my interest. 

This pathetic attempt to try and replace Kathryn didn't last. Megan began to seem more and more different as I began to fixate wholly on that girl I so wanted to forget. No one could take her place and I hated that. I hated her for making me so dependent on her. As I drifted farther away from Megan I started to analyze my broken relationship and everything that went wrong. Finally I awoke one morning with the blond beside me and I finally had to face the truth. All the analyzing, pondering and obsessing I had been doing over the past four months concerning Kathryn all truly boiled down to one inevitable conclusion: I still loved the bitch. And for that I hated her all the more. 

It was with that sobering realization I knew what I had to do and so I went about coming up with a plan of action. No more hiding and wallowing in self pity. I was going to go back home and I would bring my blond clone along for the ride. No I hadn't really developed feelings for young Megan, I wasn't even sure I liked her much. She was essentially just a means to an end. 

As it happened we arrived back in the city on the day of my Aunt Rosemonds annual spring auction. It was an all day event held out on her estate in the Hamptons. The afternoon was spent outside under white tents, followed by the lavish dinner inside and then the auction of various heirlooms at night. All the most moneyed families on the east coast attended including the Merteuil's. I was well aware that Kathryn would likely be there. 

We arrived hand in hand. Megan was wearing a beautiful pale yellow dress and I was hiding behind my custom sunglasses. Almost immediately we were besieged by my parents. The questions started right away and I wasted no time introducing them to Megan. My mother acted just like I suspected she would. She was of course polite but I could tell by her tight smile and the scrutinizing looks she was giving my date that she no way considered her a fair substitute for Kathryn, wealthy or not. I could never tell if my father really cared about who I married or not. I think he just went along with what my mother wanted. 

When Megan went to go say hello to her parents my mother smiled and said "she seems like a lovely girl, just like her mother." She paused a moment before adding "by the way do you know Kathryn is here?" 

I glanced down at my watch. "Wow mother, congratulations. You went a whole two minutes before bringing her up." Frowning I told her "yes I'd figured she'd be here but it doesn't change anything. I'm with Megan." 

"Well it wouldn't hurt to say hello, now would it son" my father prodded but I simply shot him a dirty look. 

"You aunt has invited Kathryn to stay overnight. Perhaps you two could talk later when every one is gone." She sighed sadly "you two made such a lovely couple. If only you hadn't-" 

"And with that I'm leaving." I bent forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I'll talk to you later mother. Enjoy yourself." 

I stormed out of the white tent and into the sunshine that was basking over the party guests. The festivities were being held under three large white tents on the estate grounds near the lake. One featured food, another drinks and dancing and the third was set up for the children. A magic show was currently going on. However most of the guests chose to mingle out in the sun. 

Megan was chatting with her parents and some of their friends. She noticed me and waved me over but I pretended not to notice. I was really in no mood to meet the parents. What I was really in the mood for however was a nice stiff drink. I was heading towards that tent when something across the lake caught my eye. It was Kathryn. 

Slowly I moved towards the edge of the party and stood casually by one of the tent posts as I watched her. It was strange, I knew I would eventually run into her and I thought I was prepared for it but I wasn't. Not by a long shot. Watching her I felt like I had just been sucker punched. 

Kathryn was sitting on one of the benches that over looked the lake and she wasn't alone. A swarm of well bread, preppie types were swarming around her, trying to grab her attention. They were all dying to get their hands on the most sought after piece of pussy our fine society had to offer. She was Scarlett fucking O'Hara. At the moment however she didn't seem like she could be bothered with any of them. 

As usual she looked beautiful. That hadn't changed (even though I had wished for it many times over the past few months) but she was looking far from happy. Dressed in a white strapless dress, with her long hair down, Kathryn hid her eyes behind a pair of large black glasses but I could still tell by her face that she was miserable. Just for a moment I was tempted to go over to her but the feeling quickly passed when someone else joined them. 

Jackson suddenly appeared and quickly shooed the other guys away. I then watched stunned as he took a seat beside Kathryn. She didn't get up and leave but then again she didn't look terribly happy to see him either. Jack whispered something in her ear and Kathryn responded. I wished I had been closer so I could hear what they were saying. 

I started to walk away when suddenly Kathryn turned and noticed me. Ignoring Jackson she stared at me a moment before standing up. Slowly she drew the shades away from her eyes. Her face was unreadable as always, the perfect ice princess. However she didn't look cold as ice to me. She looked...vulnerable. 

"There you are" I heard Megan purr in my ear. 

"Hey" I greeted her not breaking my trance from Kathryn who's eyes were slowly narrowing at me. 

"Something wrong?" 

Finally I glanced over at my date. She had her hand resting on my neck and her fingers were playing with the ends of my hair. Megan was serene as always but I could tell she knew I had been staring at Kathryn. Inside she was likely furious but outside she would pretend not to notice. "Everything's fine." I made a point of kissing her hand, knowing we were being watched. "Let's go get a drink." 

"Okay" Megan smiled and lead me back to the party. As I followed her I couldn't help but take one last glance back at Kathryn. She did not look pleased. Good. 

****** 

The rest of the afternoon's festivities seemed to drag on at a snail's pace. Megan insisted on introducing me to everyone she knew which as luck would have it was most of the party. It didn't take long for the gossip to start. Needless to say I was made to look like the villain yet again for hooking up with a girl so soon after my broken engagement. Most of the women didn't even bother to wait until my back was turned before whispering behind my back and Tiffani Merteuil spent most of the afternoon sending me murderous looks. 

I had managed to not run into Kathryn at all. As the sun started to go down I suspected she might have ran off but then I noticed her shapely figure sneaking off into the house. Politely I excused myself from my date and followed after her. Honestly I wasn't sure what the hell I was doing. I was just...curious. 

My mother had been right, Kathryn was staying over night. I followed her up quietly to one of the upstairs bedrooms. It was the same one we always stayed in together when we came up here during the summer. I felt a slight pang as I watched her slip inside and I wondered if she was sharing the room with someone else now. Possibly Jackson. 

After a minute I was just going to turn around and leave but then I noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Shrugging my shoulders I walked over and gently pushed it open further. I stepped inside the bedroom to find it empty. Kathryn's suitcases were there but I didn't see her. The bathroom door however was shut. I was going to wait on the bed for her to come out when I heard a sharp, distinctive and very familiar sound. 

Without bothering to knock I open the door and stormed inside. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" 

Kathryn looked up at me in surprise, her nostrils red and still caked with cocaine. Before she could answer my question I grabbed the small mirror with the tiny pile of coke and emptied it into the toilet. As I flushed it Kathryn shrieked "what the hell is wrong with you?" 

"I thought you quit this shit" I sighed as I walked past her back into the bedroom. 

"What I do or don't do is none of your concern anymore, got it?" 

"Got it" 

I turned around and headed for the door when she called out to me "why did you even bother to come back?" 

That was the million dollar question. This morning I thought I knew but right now it seemed like the worse possible mistake I could have made. Looking back at her however I tried to appear confident. After all this was the girl who broke my heart and I had no intentions of falling apart in front of her. "This is my home Kathryn and I wasn't about to spend my last few years of college in Europe just to make things more comfortable for you. In case you missed it, it was you who fucked things up. Everyone else might think I'm the villain in this relationship but we both know it's you who destroyed everything." 

I turned away from her then feeling almost choked up. I hadn't expected to feel so emotional upon seeing her again but here I was acting like a total pussy on the verge of tears. "You're not totally innocent" Kathryn reminded me as she stood beside me. "You got hurt and instead of staying and trying to fix things you ran off and fucked Haley, just to hurt me." 

"You deserved it" I told her coldly. 

"Maybe" 

I was surprised by this but I didn't show it. Instead I asked the one question that had been plaguing me all afternoon. "So when did you start seeing Jackson again?" 

"I haven't" Kathryn huffed. 

I snickered "you expect me to believe that?" 

"Do you really think I...okay fine, you're right I'm sleeping with him. Satisfied?" I couldn't be sure if she telling the truth or not. Before I could push it farther she asked "how long have you been screwing Court's little sister?" 

I knew the conversation would come around to that sooner or later. I smirked confidently and revealed "a little over a month. Megan is great. She's smart, fun, sexy, beautiful. I bet you'd really like her." I added the last note with a slight trace of malevolence. 

"Bullshit" 

"What you don't believe me?" 

"Valmont" she purred "if little Megan was as perfect as you make her out to be you'd be bored in minutes." 

"Anything but" I told her. 

Kathryn moved closer to me and I took a step back. She now had me corned against the wall. As she advanced on me she asked "why is it then you came looking for me?" 

Fuck. "I was under the mistaken idea that I should keep you from meeting an early death. Obviously I was wrong. I should have stayed with Megan." I smirked smugly down at her. "She's much more pleasant." 

"I'm sure she is." Kathryn stepped even closer until we were standing chest to chest. I had almost forgotten how it felt to be so near to her. To smell her and practically taste her. It was taking all my will power to keep my hands at my sides and not reach out and grab her. 

Kathryn must have known this because she continued on with her little game. "Tell me does Princess Margaret out there know what you like? Does she lie idly underneath you in bed or does she ride you at a gallop until pop and scream out her name? At boring parties does she pull you into the hosts pantry and give you a blow job?" Kathryn leaned forward, her hands now pressing against my chest. "Can her mere touch get you hard?" 

I was starting to get aroused just feeling her so close again. I tilted my head and my eyes began to flutter shut when I realized we were about to kiss. I was waiting for her lips to meet mine when she asked me "does she love you so much she doesn't know where you end and she begins?" 

Suddenly my eyes opened and I found Kathryn looking back at me. Not tauntingly because she indeed got me worked up but rather somberly. Looking down into her eyes I realized then what I had meant to her. She might have lied about a lot of things but never about loving me. That had been true. 

Without a word Kathryn turned away and walked out the door. This time however I didn't follow after her and demand more. I didn't know what to say. 

****** 

Dinner was a fucking disaster. 

When dinner began the guests gathered inside at the main house. There were several tables set up in the ballroom. I ended up sitting with Megan and her family including Court. Our table also ended up across from Kathryn's. She was sitting with Jackson. I was not pleased. 

She certainly seemed to be enjoying his company a lot more than she did out at the lake. I couldn't be sure if it was all for my benefit or if it was genuine. I disgusted myself by caring so much. To soothe my agitation I began to drink. It really didn't help. 

After the second course I noticed both Kathryn and Jackson get up. They grabbed one of the wine bottle off the waiters cart and headed off into the nearby living room. Leaving all my pride behind I decided to follow after them. They may in fact be fucking each other but I was going to be damned if they did it right under my nose. 

I wasn't entirely sober but I wasn't so drunk I didn't know what I was doing. After telling Megan a quick lie about having to leave to retrieve something for my aunt I snuck off into the other room. I was relieved when I found that Kathryn and Jackson were not in fact having sex but they did look close. They were sitting on the piano bench. Jackson was kissing her neck while Kathryn was disinterestedly strumming the keys. 

Strutting up to them I called out "well if it isn't the queen of the damned and the C list actor. Together again, how cozy." 

Jackson looked up at me angrily. "Fuck off Valmont." 

I leaned over the piano and whispered "no." 

Kathryn got up and walked over to me. "Are you drunk?" 

"Not yet" I reached over and grabbed the wine bottle. I took a big sip then offered her some. "Share and share alike." 

"God you're pathetic" Jackson laughed. "Can't you see she belongs with me now." As his arms circled her waist he gave me a gloating grin over her shoulder. "She always has." 

"Knock it off" Kathryn hissed pushing him away. "Look Sebastian nothing is going on between us. That's the truth." 

"The truth!" I called out as if just discovering the word. "Truth. Who's truth? Your truth Kathryn? You honestly expect me to believe a word that comes out of your mouth?" 

She sighed and started to turn away. "I'm not doing this now." 

"Oh yes you are!" It might have been the alcohol but I was suddenly filled with rage towards her for everything she had done. Gripping her tightly by the arms I screamed "do you have any idea what you've done? How much you hurt me? Jesus I can't even look at you sometimes without seeing him! I loved you so much, I would have done anything for you but you, you only cared about yourself. You might have loved me but in the end you loved yourself more." 

"That's not true!" She yelled back trying to pull out of my grasp. "Sebastian let go, you're hurting me!" 

"Well you hurt me! Fuck, I did everything I could to forget about you Kathryn. I left the fucking country! Then finally I thought I could move on but then I come back and find you here, with HIM. How could you, after what he did to us? HOW COULD YOU?!"  


My screaming must have been loud enough for the next room to hear. A moment later the gruesome threesome, Tiffany and both my parents, came bursting into the room. "What is going on in here?" my father demanded. 

"Your son was just assaulting Kathryn" Jackson explained. 

"Get your hands off of her!" Tiffani demanded. 

Looking down I noticed that I was still gripping Kathryn. I quickly let go and as I did I noticed red finger marks on her white arms. I felt too dazed and too out of it to apologize. Staggering back I collapsed on the piano bench. I looked up at Kathryn who was staring down at me with an uneasy expression. "Well aren't you going to apologize?" Tiffani demanded. "You break my daughters heart then physically assault her. I think it's the least you can do." 

When I didn't offer one up right away my mother did it for me. "I'm sorry dear, I don't know what's gotten into him lately. I'm sure he didn't mean it." 

"That's nice Lil" Tiffani huffed "but I think we should hear it from him." 

"I was just trying to-" 

"STOP IT" Kathryn suddenly screamed. Everyone including myself looked over at her startled. She appeared to be on the edge of breaking down but she didn't just yet. "This isn't his fault. You want someone to blame for this blame me. I'm the reason we broke up. I lied to Sebastian and kept things from him for years. I betrayed him. He never did anything but love and protect me, even when I didn't deserve it." Looking away from our parents and back to me she added "especially when I didn't deserve it. What I did can't be forgiven, no matter how much I apologize. I'm the one who fucked up, I'm the villain. Leave Sebastian alone, I'm to blame." 

Needless to say everyone was shocked but no one more than me. I couldn't believe that not only was Kathryn jumping to my defense but she was taking total blame for the matter even though I was aware I wasn't completely blameless. Before anyone could say anything Kathryn said "I'm going up to my room. Can someone give Mrs. Rosemond my apologies for not staying for the auction? Goodnight." 

Without waiting for an answer Kathryn turned and left the room. Tiffani looked back at me somewhat confused and then gave my parents a shrug. "I better go make sure she's okay." 

After she was gone my parents turned their attention back on me. "Well son I think-" 

"Not now" I sighed getting up. "I need some air." 

I headed out onto the balcony and Jackson followed after me. "If you're getting any grand ideas to follow after her, don't." 

Facing away from him I rolled my eyes. I was steadily starting to sober up and in no mood to deal with him. "Fuck off Jackson." 

"She doesn't belong to you anymore" 

"Well she sure as hell doesn't belong to you" I snarled whipping around to face him. 

Jackson smirked "we'll see." 

As he turned and walked back into the house I leaned back against the railing and began to think. "Over my dead body" I sighed. 

****** 

As it so happened I skipped the auction as well. Knowing my parents and Megan would be preoccupied I figured this was the perfect opportunity to have a talk with Kathryn. I headed up to her bedroom and knocked only to find she wasn't there. I had seen both Tiffani and Jackson sitting downstairs waiting for the auction to begin so I knew she wasn't with them. I wandered the mansion aimlessly trying to figure out where she could be until it hit me like a ton of bricks. 

The indoor pool was located on the first floor of the house, opposite the ball room. I knew even before I opened the doors that she would be in there. Since her drug stash was likely gone I figured she was looking for a way to relieve her stress. Outside of chemical substances Kathryn usually exercised to rid her self of stress. She ran, she fucked, she swam. I took a chance she'd be doing the last one and I was right. 

When I entered the pool I found the only lights on were the one's that illuminating the pool. Some classical music was playing in the back ground and Kathryn was doing laps across, no doubt working her body into exhaustion. I walked to the edge and waited for her to notice me. It didn't take long. 

Popping her head out of the water, she tossed her long wet hair back and looked up at me in surprise. "What aren't you at the auction?" 

"Why'd you do it?" 

"Do what?" Kathryn sighed as she resumed swimming. 

I walked the length of the pool following her. "You know what I'm talking about. Why did you take the blame for what happened?" 

"Because I felt like it" 

I chuckled "you expect me to believe that?" 

"I don't expect anything from you." As she got to the end of the pool Kathryn swam over to the ladder and climbed out. When she did I couldn't help but notice just how well she looked in that black bikini. I let my gaze linger over her body as I walked over and grabbed a towel for her. 

Kathryn went to take it from me but as she tried to pull it out of my hands I pulled it back to me. Right away I noticed the red marks that would soon become bruises on her upper arm. "Shit, did I do that?" 

"No my other drunk ex did it" she snapped grabbing the towel out of my hands. 

"I'm sorry" 

She dried her hair and shrugged. "It's nothing, it's over with." 

"Kathryn why did you do it?" 

She said nothing at first. I watched as she dropped her towel to the ground and wrapped a terry cloth robe around herself. Finally Kathryn turned back to me and explained "I was sick of lying. Besides we both knew it would get out eventually. Especially with your habit of getting drunk and shooting your mouth off." 

I smiled at her "is that the only reason?" 

"What relieving my conscience isn't enough? Well that's all I'm offering up tonight." 

As she turned to leave I reached out and grabbed her hand. "You weren't the only one to blame in all of this." 

"Yes" she sighed "I suppose Jackson played a part." 

"So did I" 

Kathryn's eyes went wide in surprise then slowly relaxed. She shrugged "I drove you to Haley. If it was me you know I'd react the same way." 

"Probably but it doesn't change things" 

We stood in silence for a moment, with me still holding her hand. Kathryn took a tentative step closer to me and I reached out and gently caressed her upper arm. "Just for future reference, I haven't been sleeping with Jackson. This is the first time I've seen him since that morning at your apartment." 

I let my fingers linger up her shoulder to her neck. Moving in even closer to her I whispered "yeah I know." Deep inside I knew she was telling the truth. Kathryn wouldn't have gone back to Jackson but for some reason it was easier for me to believe she had. Leaning in closer to her my lips soon found hers and gripping the back of her neck I pulled her into a kiss. 

It felt as if it had been years since the last time we did this and yet at the same time it felt as if nothing had changed. I kissed her and the past four months never happened. She was still mine and we were still together. The kiss went from tentative to heated in under a second. 

It was Kathryn who finally pulled away. She looked up at me in a sort of dazed surprised. "I had almost forgotten how good that was" I told her. 

"I hadn't" she replied. Turning around she said "I think I'm going up to bed." 

"I'll go with you" 

I can't really recall much of that trip up to our old guest room. We were pretty much pawing one another the whole way there, both really not considering what we were about to do. When we eventually got to the room I pushed open the door and picked Kathryn up into my arms. We kissed roughly and then I tossed her down onto the bed. Quickly I removed my own jacket and climbed on top of her. She moaned as I kissed her neck and tugged off her robe. My hands immediately moved up her smooth, flat stomach to her subtle breasts. I knew every inch of her body by heart and yet I was surprised by how much this felt like the first time. 

Kathryn pulled my mouth back to hers and her hands moved in between our bodies, down to my pants. I jerked away though and started kissing down her body. As I did she whimpered "god, I missed you Sebastian." 

Hearing her voice suddenly made me acutely aware of the cloud that was hanging over us. Things weren't like they were before, everything had changed. Sleeping with Kathryn wouldn't make everything okay. It was with that thought I pulled away from her and sat up. "I can't do this." 

"What? Why? Don't you want me?" 

I buried my head in my hands and sighed "of course I want you. I've always wanted you Kathryn." 

She placed a hand on my back. "Then what's wrong?" 

"I had this inane idea that by fucking you everything would go back to the way it was but it can't. I don't trust you Kathryn." 

Recoiling back from me she replied "oh." 

Getting to my feet I spun around and looked at her "I'm sorry but I don't." 

Kathryn regarded me with anger. "What do think, that I'm plotting against you with Jackson? Jesus fucking Christ it's in the past Sebastian. I thought you were ready to move on" 

"That's the point" I yelled back. "I don't think I am. I don't trust you and I'm certainly not ready to be with you like we were. I'm not sure I ever will be." 

"Why because you're in love with Megan now?" 

I rolled my eyes at her. "Of course not. I've only loved one girl in my whole life and you know that. However no matter what I feel for you Kathryn I can't just forgive and forget." 

I knew I was hurting her but it had to be said. Even though there was a part of me screaming to go through with it I couldn't start things up again until I was sure I could trust her again. 

Kathryn grabbed my jacket and chucked it at me. "Fine then get the hell out." 

"Kathryn..." I sighed. 

She fell back into the bed and looked away from me. "Just leave me alone okay?" 

"All right" 

Solemnly I turned and walked out of the bedroom, ruining what had promised to be an interesting evening. As I slowly walked down the hall I wondered if perhaps I was doing the right thing by not rushing things along. I knew the look that appeared on Kathryn's face when I pushed her away was going to haunt me for the rest of the night. 

I was almost to the staircase when I heard the sound of smashing glass followed by a loud thud. For a second I just thought it was Kathryn throwing a temper tantrum over not getting her way but then it was quickly followed by a loud, terrified scream. I took off as fast as I could back to the bedroom. 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	15. It's Now or Never Valmont

Trip On Love 

Summary: Kathryn gets attacked which leads to a close moment between her and Sebastian but will it really change anything? 

Authors Note: Yeah I know I haven't updated in forever. Forgive me but I was just going through writers block or something. I knew what I wanted to have happen in the chapter I just couldn't write it. Anyway this chapter was originally suppose to be twice as long but I cut it down. Good news is I'm already half way into the next chapter which means it should me up in the next few days. By the way bonus points to anyone who gets the Sex and the City reference towards the end of the chapter. I couldn't resist. 

Chapter 15: It's Now or Never Valmont 

My first thought upon hearing the broken glass and Kathryn's scream was she was having one of her infamous hissy fits. It was nothing to be alarmed about. However this time I knew it was different. Her scream wasn't filled with anger but terror. Something was wrong. I turned and bolted down the hallway back to the guest room. 

Running into the room I found there was glass everywhere. I stepped cautiously across the floor, my eyes immediately going towards what had been the cause of the loud crash. The large picture window, that looked out at my aunts famous rose gardens, looked as if someone had rammed a boulder through it. I approached the window, kicking the glass out of the way and looked outside only to be greeted by the cover of night. "Kathryn" I called out but got no response. Turning around I opened my mouth to call out again but stopped when I found her huddled against the side of the bed. Shaking and looked stunned she clutched her left arm which was bleeding profusely. 

"Kathryn!" Kneeling by her side I was caught off guard by how fragile and shaken she looked. "Kathryn look at me." When her eyes eventually met mine I asked "what happened?" 

She didn't say anything right away. Clutching her cut arms she looked away from me and towards the broken window as if noticing it for the first time. Nodding Kathryn explained, her voice shaky "something came through the window." 

I shook my head "yeah no shit" 

She flinched "I don't know what happened. I got off the bed, walked towards the bathroom and the next thing I know I hear glass breaking behind me and something slashing my arms." 

"Someone must have thrown something. Are you okay?" I reached out to examine her arms but she pulled away from me. "Kathryn I'm not going to hurt you. Let me look at your arms." 

Slowly she loosened her grip on her arms and allowed me to look. There were five or six small, shallow cuts on each and a deep one on her right arm. "You need to clean this up. You might need stitches." 

"I'm fine" she sighed. 

"You're shaking" I pointed out. Cupping her face I sighed realizing for the first time that I had been holding my breath ever since hearing her scream. I had been scared. Realizing she was okay I left out sigh of relief and smiled slightly. Kathryn returned it. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have run..." 

I trailed off when I noticed something half buried under the bed. Getting to my feet I walked over and picked it up. It was a heavy stone statue, Ganesh red sandstone, it was called. I knew this because it was one of the pieces my aunt was auctioning off that evening. However that wasn't what caught my attention. 

"What is it?" Kathryn asked. 

I glanced down at her then pealed the piece of white cloth attached to the statue. I showed it to her and she read it aloud. "You're mine." Her face wrinkled in annoyance "what the fuck does that mean?" 

Before I could offer my two cents the bedroom door opened and the parental brigade arrived. My parents followed by Tiffani Merteuil came rushing into the room. "What happened?" My mother asked. "We heard someone scream." 

I rolled my eyes wondering what they were doing that took them so long to arrive. "Someone threw this through the window" I explain showing them the statue. 

"Was anyone hurt?" Noticing her daughter still huddled on the floor Tiffani rushed to her side. "Oh darling you're cut." 

"Yes I'm aware mother" Kathryn replied icily "I'm fine." 

Studying the Ganesh my mother told me "I've seen this before" 

"Yeah I think aunt Helen was auctioning it off" 

"She was" my mother agreed "and I remember it because Jackson bid on it." 

My eyebrows shot up as I turned to look at Kathryn. Her green eyes went wide in alarm. She shook her head "no..." 

"He said something to me earlier" I revealed. 

"What?" 

I held up the message for her and repeated "she's mine. He told me you belonged to him and I was to back off." 

"So why didn't he throw something through **your** window?" She demanded. "It doesn't make any sense." 

I rolled my eyes at her wondering if she was just in denial or if she truly believed he was innocent. "Well I'm going to find out." 

Heading to the door I was stopped by Tiffani who grabbed my arm. "Wait he's already gone. He left before the auction was even over with." 

"He could still be on the grounds"

"That's true" my father offered. "On foot it would take at least ten minutes to get from the rose garden to the garage." 

I nodded "I'm going to check it out before-" 

"Will you all just stop!" Kathryn called out as she quickly rose to her feet. Turning to me she explained "he's not involved Sebastian. He might have been angry of felt threatened but he wouldn't do something like this. Not to me." 

"He had no problem doing it the night of our engagement party though did he?" I sneered. I really couldn't believe she was sticking up for that asshole after everything he'd put us through. 

Kathryn shook her head at me "what's that suppose to mean?" 

"That night Jackson thought he lost you to me for good so he acted out. The same thing happened tonight. When are you going to wake up Kathryn? The guy is completely fucked in the head." Glaring at her I mused "but perhaps that's what attracted you to him the first place. Birds of a feather and all that." 

She flinched obviously surprised I was airing our dirty laundry in front of our parents. At the moment however I didn't really give a shit. No one spoke for one long minute and you could have cut the tension in the air with a knife. Kathryn's eyes burned into mine. They were filled with anger and something else. Disappointment perhaps or maybe sadness. Finally she stalked past me grumbling just loudly enough for me to hear as she passed, "screw you Valmont." 

Unable to resist having the last word I replied "I thought we already settled that. I'm not interested." 

Kathryn slammed the door in response. I rolled my eyes an tossed the statue on the bed. The parental units stood behind me awkwardly, no one saying anything until my father offered "perhaps we should call the police." 

"No" I replied distractedly my eyes flickering between the broken window and the shut bathroom door. "No, I'll take care of it. You can go back to your rooms." 

"I'm going to stay with my daughter" Tiffani stated taking a seat on the bed. 

I should have just taken this opportunity to leave but for some reason I didn't. Before I even realized I was saying it I offered "it's okay, I'll stay with her." 

Tiffani's eyes narrowed at me. Obviously she wasn't totally on board with this idea. "Go to bed" I advised her. "She'll be fine. Trust me I think we're done screaming at each other." Under my breath I added "at least for tonight anyway." 

She sighed rising to her feet "well all right but just try not to make this too stressful on her. She's had a hard enough night already." 

After giving Tiffani my assurance and kissing my mother goodnight they finally left. Since Kathryn was still in the bathroom I made myself busy, cleaning up the glass and making sure the maid sent someone to fix the window in the morning. Feeling tired and wiped out from the events of the day I collapsed back into the bed and made myself comfortable. Kathryn finally emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later. 

"What are you still doing here?" 

My eyes discreetly swept over her body taking in the familiar ivory colored, silk white nightie she was wearing. I had bought it for her on her last birthday and she looked damn good in it. Focusing my eyes back on her face I explained "I volunteered to stay with you." 

Kathryn turned her nose up at this idea. "Thanks but I don't need a baby-sitter. I can take care of myself." 

"Obviously" I repeated sarcastically eying her bandaged arms. "I'm staying either way." 

"Whatever" she grumbled. As she removed her earrings Kathryn glanced over at me warily and asked "you don't think you're sleeping here do you?" 

Positioning my hands behind my head I shrugged somewhat bemused "why not?" 

Kathryn looked as if she wanted to argue but she stopped herself. Shaking her head as she climbed under the covers I heard her mutter under her breath "of course. Now you _want_ to go to bed with me." 

I smiled but Kathryn turned away from sullenly. Resting on my side I moved in closer to her and placed my hand on her bare arm. "Are you still mad at me?" When she didn't respond I took that as a yes. "I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. It's just the thought of you defending HIM after everything...well I shouldn't have said anything." 

She sighed "it's fine I'm over it." 

I decided to just leave it alone and let her go to sleep. We laid in silence for awhile and I thought she was asleep until Kathryn called out "Sebastian?" 

"Yes?" 

She paused "do you really think Jackson did it?" 

"Yeah I really do." Putting my arm around her I let my hand rest on top of hers. "I wouldn't worry about him though. He was just trying to get your attention." 

"It worked" 

"He'll never hurt you" I assured her. "I won't allow it." 

Kathryn didn't say anything. She just turned her head and gently kissing my mouth. "Goodnight Sebastian" she muttered softly before turning away. 

My mouth still tingling from that brief connection I ran my fingers over my lips. "Good night" 

I rested my head on the pillow but when sleep didn't hit me right away I sat up and took one last look at her as she slept. Kathryn was smiling. 

****** 

That morning sun is a killer. As I awoke the next morning still nestled beside Kathryn in her bed the sun shown brightly though the broken window, practically blinding me. I shielded my face against the light as my eyes groggily opened. My body was telling me it was far too early to be getting up so I let my head slump down on the pillow and prepared to drift off but then I noticed the resting beauty beside me. There was no way I was going to be able to fall back asleep. 

I had witnessed this miraculously ordinary event hundreds upon hundreds of times before and yet it never got old. I never ceased to be amazed at how beautiful and almost angelic my ex fiancee looked when sleeping. In all fairness to myself it had been quite some time since I'd been in this situation but not so much time had passed that I could forget every inch of her face. It still blew me away. 

What the hell was I doing? Rolling away from her I rested on my back and stared up at the ceiling as if expecting the answer to suddenly appear up there. Why was I in bed with Kathryn? Why had I agreed to stay last night? Don't get me wrong I wasn't so blind I couldn't see why I was doing it. I still had feelings towards her. I probably still loved her. That wouldn't just disappear because I was angry. The more time I spent with Kathryn the harder it was to ignore what I felt for her or push it away. 

Yet at the same time I had this voice in my head screaming that I couldn't just let her off the hook so easily. I couldn't just ignore her history with Jackson and I couldn't forgive her. Not until I was absolutely positive that she was truly over him. 

Looking back at her I was filled with this urge to reach out and touch her. However that did seem somewhat inappropriate given the new found nature of our relationship. Then again after last night... 

My hand was only inches from her care shoulder when Kathryn began to stir. Quickly I snatched my hand back just as she groggily opened her eyes. "You're still here" she yawned. 

It was a statement rather than a question but I answered it anyway. "Yes I just wanted to make sure you were okay." 

"I'm fine outside of the massive bruise you left on my leg. Christ Valmont you still kick in your sleep." 

"I do not" I protested even though I had no idea if it was true or not. Lifting up the covers I looked at her bare legs and commented "that's nothing." 

"Fine then" In retaliation she kicked my shin and then snickered. 

"Ow! Okay fine, Jesus I'm sorry" 

Kathryn smirked as I rubbed my leg. Noticing her bandages for the first time that morning I asked "how's your arm?" 

She studied the gauze wrapped around her arm "I'll live. Jackson on the other hand..." 

"Don't" I advised her "just let me handle it." 

"Oh please" she exclaimed as she rolled over onto her side. "What is the big strong man going to protect me? Fuck that I can take care of myself." 

I snickered "oh trust me I'm aware. Don't worry about it. I'll take care of Jackson. He's probably hiding out somewhere. I bet his agent knows where to find him." 

"Good" Kathryn than sat up and reached for the phone sitting on the bedside table. 

As she started to dial I asked "what are you doing?" 

"I'm calling his agent. What's his name again? Eric something or other." Immediately I grabbed at the phone and tried to pull it from her grip. "Sebastian!" She exclaimed holding on tightly "knock it off. Let go!" 

"You're not calling him" I barked trying to pull it away from her. She was surprisingly strong. "I told you I would handle it." 

Kathryn let out an annoyed shriek "fine!" She let go of the phone and in turn propelled me forward. I fell onto of her my face resting on her shoulder, my head right by her breasts. All and all not a bad place to be. The phone dropped out of my hand as I pulled myself up and came face to face with her. Kathryn smirked "oops." 

Without giving it a second thought I moved in closer to her and her mouth so found mine. Kathryn was still resting against the headboard and as we kissed she guided me even closer to her. I was suddenly resting firmly between her supple legs. A place I swore I would never be again. A place so familiar I got hard simply being there. 

Breaking the kiss I pulled my head back and watched her. Kathryn's lips were pink and puffy and her eyes were filled with lust. I looked away from her determined not to let his go any farther even though I was aching to give into her. My eyes fell upon the tiny strap of her negligée. I could feel the silky material underneath my fingers as I clutched her sides. "You know I bought this for you. Your last birthday." 

"I remember" she replied her voice husky. 

My hand dipped father down her leg until I came to the end of the material. At the hem there was a rip an inch and a half long. I smirked at the memory. "I think I was a little over anxious that night." 

"You weren't the only one as I recall" 

Kathryn was now touching my face, her soft hands caressing my skin. I looked back up at her my eyes locked onto hers as my hands moved back up to her waist this time pulling up her nightie as I went. She spread her legs even more and as I got to her hips I realized she still had that little habit on not wearing her underwear to bed. I looked down just in time to see the white negligée come up over her bare mound and I unsuccessfully tried to stifle a groan. This wasn't fair. I looked back up as Kathryn ran her tongue over her bottom lip and threw me a look that said "well?" 

"Oh fuck it" I groaned before quickly moving back up her body and pulling her into a kiss. She whimpered in surprise as I ravaged her mouth. A long succession of warm wet kisses followed while my hands felt around the familiar curves of her body. We made quick work of discarding our clothes. It was safe to say we already knew each other so well, there was no awkwardness, no hesitation. It was comfortable being with Kathryn again but also exciting because I knew we shouldn't be doing this. Nothing had changed from the day before. I just missed her. 

After entering her slowly I cradled Kathryn in my arms and thrust into her gently. However neither of us were ever good at the slow and gently approach. In a matter of minute I fucking her harder, the head board slamming against the wall as Kathryn wrapped her legs tightly around me riding me from underneath. "Fuck" I groaned again and again in her ear. As I felt myself starting to peak I was practically singing her name aloud. 

Kathryn gripped my by the hair and crushed her mouth to mine. She bit my lip and whispered "cum in me. Please...oh...god..." 

In that moment I never wanted her more. I would have given up anything and forgiven anything she wanted me to. I needed her, craved her so badly. I bit into her shoulder and Kathryn quickly orgasmed around me. Her walls fluttered against me, sucking me in further. My pubic bone mashed against her hard nub driving out her climax further. At last I couldn't hold back and I came, clutching her lithe body to mine and burying my face in the nape of her neck. 

We stayed like that for a moment. Kathryn's legs still wrapped around me as I rested fully on top of her. She was panting and her fingers were tracing circles on my back. It was as comforting as it had always been and that was...unsettling. "Where did that come from?" She finally asked. 

I sat up and rolled away from her to my side of the bed. My body felt weak but that good sort of weak. The funny thing was I felt better than I had in months and yet I couldn't help but get the thought of Kathryn...and Jackson out of my head. I don't know where it came from but there it was. And it wouldn't leave. 

"Sebastian?" 

Looking over at her I realized she was waiting for an answer. "It was just...mutual spontaneous hormonal combustion." 

Kathryn cocked an eyebrow "excuse me?" 

I sighed and looked back up at the ceiling. "I think it was a mistake." 

There was a long almost deafening pause of silence. It was awkward and painful and the whole time I kept wishing there was a way I could forget what was going on in my head. Why couldn't I just get over this? Why did I keep hurting her? 

Finally I produced some courage, enough to sneak a peak at my almost fiancee. She was steering out the window lost in thought. I knew I was hurting her but I didn't count on her being angry. She was definitely without a doubt pissed. Without a word she got up from the bed, throwing the covers off with a disgusted huff. Kathryn stalked over to the closet and pulled out a black dress. 

"What are you doing?" 

"What the fuck does it look like" she snapped icily. "I'm leaving." 

Pulling myself up into a sitting position my eyes swiftly scanned over the bedside table looked for a cigarette. Of all the time to be out. When I was desperately in need of anything to take the edge off. "Look Kathryn I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" 

"Just save it Valmont. I've had enough for one weekend, all right?" 

Hadn't we all. I sat there stupefied trying to think of something to quell her anger as I searched around for my boxer shorts. "I know you're pissed but the thing is I'm not ready for things to just go back to the way there were. This was nice but I'm not ready to trust you again." 

"Stop it! Stop talking to me like I'm one of your dumb little conquests that you have to placate." 

"I'm s-" 

"And for god sakes" she yelled "stop telling me you're sorry!" 

Rising to my feet I stood before her and told Kathryn the cold hard truth of the situation. "I can't forgive you yet." 

She recoiled back a step as if being struck. Her green eyes glazed over at she stared at the Persian rug below us. "Yet" she repeated softly. Kathryn looked back up at my her face suddenly hard. "And until then what would you like me to do? Sit around and wait while you decide if I'm worthy enough while you're off screwing your latest Megan? Should I just put my life on hold and wait and hope for the day you realize you love me again? Well FUCK YOU!" 

"Kathryn-" 

She held up her hand to silence me. "I love you Sebastian. I always have, that's never changed. I loved you so much it nearly killed me when you left. For months all I did was plead to a God I don't even believe in that you would come back to me. Then you finally did and I waited, hoping you would look at me the way you use to but instead all you did was treat me like some high class whore. Well I'm done. It's now or never Valmont. Do you love me?" 

I shook my head at her "what, it's all or nothing? That's not fair. I need time. You can't just expect me to forgive you just like that." 

Kathryn looked back at me sadly. "Then I guess I have my answer." She walked past me towards the door and called quietly over her shoulder "good-bye Sebastian." 

I felt sick to my stomach. Literally I thought I was going to be ill. It killed me to act this way towards her but at the same time I couldn't let my anger go. Pride was a bitch and I had it in spades. Still I couldn't let her walk out that door . Rushing back to her I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me. "Wait a minute Kathryn." 

She faced me with tears in her eyes. "No, just let me go." Shaking her head she remarked "we're over. We're so over we need a new word for over. Let's just pretend we never saw each other again or better yet we ever knew each other at all." 

Kathryn ran her hand across her eyes ineffectively trying to dry them and then pulled out of my grasp. Before I could stop her she ran out of the room, slamming the door as she left. I felt myself slump back against the bed in defeat. In the quiet of the bedroom, with no one around to hear I said aloud what my pride hadn't allowed me to say. "But I do love you.' 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	16. Friendship and Other Myths

Trip On Love 

Summary: Sebastian's attempts to distance himself from Kathryn fail as a looming threat against her mounts. 

Authors Note: Morgaine le Fay you were right. That was the line from Sex and the City. Truth be told I've always had a soft spot for Mr. Big but Ross Geller is another story entirely.. 

Chapter 16: Friendship and Other Myths 

Parents have this incredible knack of showing up at the exact wrong moment. Like when you come home after a long, frustrating day and all you want to do is be alone but you walk in to find your mother there. Arranging flowers. 

A few weeks following the disaster of a weekend in the Hamptons I was back in the city staying at my old apartment. I came through the door only to be greeted by the sight of my mother playing with a bundle of hideous looking gardenias. Closing the door behind me I dropped the keys loudly onto the table to get her attention. "Mother what are you doing here?" 

"Oh hello darling" she greeted happily as if it was completely normal for her to be hanging around my apartment. "I thought I'd stop in for a visit since I was in the neighborhood." 

"In the neighborhood? You live two blocks away." 

"Yes well is there anything wrong with a mother wanting to visit with her only child, especially when that child won't return her phone calls?" She narrowed her eyes accusingly at me but I just shook my head. The woman was still number one with a guilt trip. Turning her attention back her flowers she continued "I thought your classes ended at four. Where have you been?" 

"I went for a walk." I went over to my answering machine and found I had three messages. One from Blaine alerting me to a party he was throwing that night and two from Megan. I made a mental note to actually call her back sometime soon. Walking back into the living room I found my mother still fussing around with pretend busy work. I knew as soon as I saw her that she had ulterior motives for being here. "All right mother, let's here it. Tell me what you're really doing here."

"Oh honestly Sebastian" she sighed as she picked up the vase and moved it to the piano. "Such paranoia. I just wanted to see how you are doing. Especially after all that unpleasantness in the country. Poor Kathryn she must have been so frightened. You know I never would have thought Jackson was that kind of boy. He always seemed so polite and good natured." 

I rolled my eyes "yeah he was a real prince." 

My mother shot me a quick look out of the corner of her eye then as casually as she could muster she asked "so have you seen Kathryn since? Spoken to her perhaps?" 

"And there it is" I sighed lazily slumping back into an arm chair. 

"What? It's just an innocent question"

"Yeah right. And People say I have a one track mind." 

Ignoring my jab my mother continued to blabber on. I tried to tune her out. "Tiffani says Kathryn has been absolutely distraught since the incident. She hasn't been going to school and she skipped the Newport benefit last weekend." 

"Alert the media" I quipped. 

"I'm serious Sebastian. She's not well at all. She needs a friend. Perhaps an old friend..." 

I knew Kathryn was likely over the whole window incident by now. What was really bothering her was how we ended things. How I treated her. I knew this because it was all I could think about. There had even been a few times when I picked up the phone to call her but I never followed through. I wouldn't know what to say. Besides which I knew my mother was exaggerating. Kathryn was fine. "She has enough friends. And nothing has changed between us so you can stop fishing around for clues. It's not going to happen." 

"Fine then I'd at least like to know if she's safe. Have the police arrested that lunatic yet?" 

I shook my head "no I talked to his agent. He's in California on location somewhere. Kathryn's not in any danger." 

"Well all right then." Gathering her things she headed towards the door. "I'll leave you be then. Just consider what I've said though, please." My mother leaned forward and pecked my cheek. "I'll talk to you later darling." 

As I watched her head towards the door I had a sudden thought. "Wait mom." She stopped and turned back to me curious. "How did you do it?" I asked. 

"Do what dear?" 

Getting to my feet I slowly approached her. "How did you forgive dad after everything he's done. He's cheated and lied to you forever and yet you still stay with him. Why?" 

She thought about it a moment. "The short answer? I love him." 

That's what I knew she would say and it was absolutely no help. Rolling my eyes I told her "I'm going to need more than that. He betrayed you mother. SEVERAL times, including with a women who was _this_ close to becoming your in law. You can't just tell me you love him so to hell with everything wrong he's done. I know you mother. You are in no way that shallow or stupid." 

I thought perhaps I had gone too far with my bitter diatribe when she didn't say anything right away. Turning she set her purse down on the end table then faced me, looking uncharacteristically serious. "You know there was another man who wanted to marry me." 

That I wasn't expecting. "What?"

"Back when your father and I became engaged there was another man who was in love with me. Jonathan Pryce. He came from old money and a good family. He loved me and offered me the world if I married him instead of your father. Many people, my mother included, thought I should. Jon was a stable man with a good heart who would offer me a lot of security but it didn't happen. I was in love with your father. I never once regretted my decision, not even now." 

"Yeah" I sighed "because you're so in love with him."

"No, it's more than just that dear. You see back then your father was a lot like you. Charming and...fickle when it came to women. I knew who your father was before I married him but it didn't matter." 

I stared back at her in disbelief. "You're telling me you _knew_ he would cheat but you married him anyway?" 

My mother nodded "you can't choose who you fall in love with Sebastian. I knew I could have a good life if I married Jonathan full of security and worry free nights. However I also knew I would always regret not marrying your father. We shared a bond, he was the only one who understood me. The only one who could really make me laugh. I liked who I was when I was with him. I loved him, faults and all. And you're right things have not always been perfect. There were times when I wanted to divorce him but I knew no matter who he spent time with, it was always me he would love." 

I could understand what my mother was getting at. Love was enough to make anything work but I didn't quite believe it. "I'm not sure it's that easy for me. I just can't forgive...what she did, no matter what I feel for her. I just can't." 

"I understand sweetheart. All I can tell you is what I know from experience. It's harder to forgive that it is to forget and let go. I know Kathryn hurt you and if you can't get past that it's all right. Perhaps Megan or someone else is better for you, but let me ask you something. Can you ever see yourself happy with someone other than Kathryn?" 

Before I could give her an answer there was a knock at my door. A moment later it opened and Megan came in. "Hey don't you answer your fucking..." She stopped in her tracks upon spotting my mother. Right away the anger melted from her face and was replaced by a phony smile. "Oh hello Mrs. Valmont. I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt." 

Yep I was still seeing her, but barely. Since the Hamptons I had been somewhat stringing Megan along with a phone call here and there. I should probably just break things off but I guess Megan was my security blanket. As long as she was around it gave me a viable excuse not to go back to Kathryn. 

My mother did not look pleased at this development but she hid it well under a phony smile. "Hello dear nice to see you again. How are your parents doing?" 

"They're well" Megan replied sounding every bit like the well bread east coast child she was. "Father has been working too hard and mother's been busy planning the Wilkinson ball." 

"Yes so I've been hearing. Well you give them my best. I have to get going." Turning back to me her face lost the phoniness and she gave me a genuine smile. "I'll talk to you later Sebastian." 

I waved a silent good-bye and waited for her to exit. When my mother was indeed gone I gave Megan my most charming smile as she started to approach me. "Look I'm sorry I haven't gotten back -" 

She cut me off with a hard slap to the face. "Save it Valmont. Your cutsy bullshit isn't going to work on me." 

Rubbing my reddening cheek I regarded her with surprise. Apparently Megan was more like Kathryn than I realized. "Okay first off there's no need to act mental okay? Would you let me explain?" Taking a deep breath she crossed her arms to her chest and waited for my explanation. "I'm sorry I've been distant these past couple of weeks but I've been busy. Registering for classes, dealing with disgruntled professors, and my family-" 

"And HER!" 

I flinched "who?" 

"Who?" She parroted back. "Kathryn. Ever since we came back here all you've been doing is obsessing over your ex. Well you know what I don't come in second to anyone, even her!" 

Megan started to depart when I blocked her way. "Wait you can't just go. Look I agree I've been unfair to you but it stops now okay? I promise you I am done with Kathryn." 

Megan might be many things but stupid wasn't one of them. She also wasn't a pushover. She stared me down proclaiming "you still love her?" 

I shook my head "it's over with. Kathryn is out of my life for good." 

Weather it was true or not didn't matter. I needed Megan in my life a little longer, hell I needed anything at this point that might help me keep my mind off of Kathryn. Watching her as she seemed to think in over I wondered if perhaps she knew I was lying. Perhaps, as I said she wasn't dense. The more I got to thinking about it the more I almost wanted to tell her the truth. Give her an out now and save her the pain that was likely to follow later on. Just as I could feel the words getting ready to come out of my mouth Megan turned to me with a hesitant smile. "Okay I'm giving you one last chance. But one more fuck up Valmont and I'll walk." 

I forced a smile and kissed her. "Thank you, I'll try to watch my step." 

She wiped her lipstick off of mouth and asked "so what do you want to do tonight?" 

I didn't even have to think about it. Right away I suggested "well Blaine's having this party..." 

****** 

"Where have you been?" 

Placing Megan's martini down on the metallic table in front of her I let out a disgruntled sigh and then took a large sip of my own drink. "This place is a fucking zoo" I complained. "It took me ten minutes just to get to the bar. Tuttle's way over staffed and he invited too many god damn screw ups." 

She arched an eyebrow. "Invited? More like conned. Who throws a party and then charges fucking admission to get inside?" 

"Blaine does" I replied with a grin. 

Megan rolled her eyes obviously no impressed. I let her slip of attitude pass without mention because for the most part so far she hadn't been complaining at all. It was safe to say that the party wasn't exactly her scene. It was being held in the un-glam but ultra trendy meat packing district in an old made over warehouse. Inside it was crowded mostly with people who weren't of the country club variety. My date wasn't in her natural habitat but so far she was going with the flow quite nicely. 

"Hey" I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. "What do you say we stay another hour and then take off and get something to eat?" 

"Hmm...it doesn't have to be someplace around here does it?" 

I laughed "I'll take you to that Italian place you like of eighty first." 

Megan rested her head on my shoulder and smiled contentedly. "That sounds perfect." 

"Good. Now what do you say to a dance?" 

She nodded and I led her out onto the crowded dance floor. Some loud techno music was playing as bodies jammed up close together. I gripped Megan tightly by the waist crushing her nubile body to mine. Our bodies grind together closely and I began kissing her neck inciting soft mews of pleasure from her mouth. 

I was feeling myself start to let go and relax finally. Just as I was beginning to think my life was slipping back into some realm of normalcy and possibly I could stop feeling like two week old shit I looked up and spotted my past on the second floor balcony. Kathryn was pushing her way through the crowd clad in a silky red halter dress. As she was trying to get by she turned her head and looked down into the crowd. Her eyes were soon on me. 

While I still continued to dance with Megan my attention was now fully on Kathryn. I wasn't exactly surprised to see her, I knew Blaine would most likely invite her but I wasn't prepared to see her again. Apparently neither was she because she took one look at me with my date and then quickly disappeared back into the crowd. I stopped dancing feeling as though I had been punched in stomach. Megan noticed and asked "what's wrong." 

"Nothing" I replied still staring up at the balcony. "Let's leave, this party is getting stale." 

She looked at me curiously but replied "sure let me just...oh look there's Jennifer Grant. I should probably go say hello. You don't mind do you?" 

Actually I did. I wanted to get the hell out of that place as fast as possible. However I didn't say anything. "Yeah that's fine. I'm just going to get another drink." 

Megan gave me a quick kiss and then disappeared into the crowd to go see her sorority sister. Turning I pushed through the hoards of people to get to the bar. I managed to squeeze my way up front but I found that the bartender was far too enamored with the blond with the big breasts to bother with his customer. When I failed at getting his attention I turned around and noticed there was another bar on the second floor. I quickly climbed the stairs but as I reached the top I ran smack into someone. 

"Kathryn." 

"Leave me alone!" she exclaimed seemingly not knowing it was me. When she looked up her eyes widened in surprise. "Sebastian. I-I didn't realize it was you." 

"Are you sure?" I deadpanned. 

She didn't even crack a smile. "I was just leaving." 

"Yeah so were we." 

Kathryn flinched and shook her head. "Good for you" she muttered under her breath as she pushed by me. 

I was going to just let her pass by but something was bothering me. Kathryn wasn't acting like herself. Grabbing her arm I asked "what's going on?" 

"Nothing" 

"Yes something's wrong" I insisted. Even though the floor underneath our feet was pulsating thanks in part to the blaring music I could still feel her shaking underneath my grasp. "You're shaking and you practically attacked me when I bumped into you. What's wrong Kathryn?" 

She pulled away from me and replied icily "it's none of your concern anymore. Just go back to your date." 

Placing my hand on her waist I leaned in and whispered "it will always be my concern. Now, come on, what is it?" 

Kathryn's eyes met mine and I could see her guard slowly starting to come down. I could tell she was debating weather to confide in me or not. Finally she said "it's...it's going to sound stupid and you're probably not going to believe me." 

"Try me" 

"I think somebody's been following me" 

I couldn't help but smirk "and after how many lines of coke did you come to this conclusion?" 

Her eyes narrowed angrily at me. "I quit doing that shit. I'm not paranoid-you know what just forget it. I knew I shouldn't have said anything." 

Once again she tried to pass me but I blocked her way. "Okay, okay I'm sorry. What makes you think you're being followed." 

"I don't know it's just a feeling I get like someone's watching me. Like today in the park when I was running I could have sworn someone was following me. And that's not the only thing. I've been getting messages too." 

"Messages?" 

Kathryn went into her purse and pulled out a couple of folded notes. She handed them over to me and I read them. One was a collage of pictures of Kathryn taken from newspapers and school photos. Another said "You never loved him did you? Not like me. He was never good enough for you. Unlike HIM I will never leave you." The third note just said "Miss me?" 

I could feel myself start to tense as I read them. "When did you get these?"

"The last couple of weeks. They came in the mail with no forwarding address. I'm starting to get a little freaked out Valmont." 

Wanting to calm her I insisted "look it could be nothing. I mean think about it, how many people have you pissed off? I'm sure it's just someone playing a joke on you." 

"With what purpose? Do you really think it's a coincident that someone threw that statue through my window and I just happen to start getting creepy messages in the mail a week later." 

"Wait are you thinking it might be Jackson?" 

Kathryn nodded "it makes sense doesn't it?" 

"Yeah but according to his agent he's out of town" 

"Are you sure?" 

I looked down into the crowd of people and realized I wasn't sure of anything anymore. It did look highly suspicious. "Maybe he just wants us to think he's out of town" I mused. 

"It's possible" she agreed. 

Before I could say more Blaine suddenly came up from behind us. "Hey there you two are. Together again I see. Well that didn't take long. Is the wedding back on? Shall I go inform Sebastian's latest little dish that she's been replaced." 

I glared at him and sneered "not now Tuttle." 

"I'm going home, see you later Blaine" Kathryn called over her shoulder as she started to head down the stairs. 

"Hey wait a minute!" Blaine and I both called out in unison. I pulled her back and said "I'll take you." 

Kathryn regarded me with surprise but quickly shook it off. "I'm fine Sebastian. Besides I brought my car and I don't intend to leave it around this shit hole." 

"Hey thanks" Tuttle huffed. 

"Since when do you drive?" 

She shrugged "I do a lot of things you don't know about." 

Kathryn started to leave but I blocked her way. "I'm walking you to your car. No arguments." 

"Wait a minute, you're both leaving?" Blaine sighed "oh come on the strippers haven't even come out yet." 

I regarded him with curiosity "you have strippers?" 

Kathryn rolled her eyes and pushed past us. "Leaving now!" 

"I'll call you later" I told Blaine as I followed quickly after Kathryn who was practically running out of the club. When I caught up with her I grabbed her by the back of the dress and halted her. "Hold on a second. I just have to tell Megan I'm leaving." 

This elicited an eye roll and a huff of annoyance from her. "I'm not waiting around for you to-" 

I pressed my fingers to her lips silencing her "just stay put. It will only take a minute." 

When she didn't take off right away I figured it was safe to leave her a minute. Spotting Megan standing by the table we were at earlier I headed over. "Hey" I greeted her "did you talk with your friend?" 

"Yeah" she replied all smiles. "I'm ready lets go." 

"Um, yeah I'm just going to be a minute. I promised Blaine I would do something for him." 

Megan's face fell in disappointment. "Blaine? What could he possibly want you to do?" Looking over my shoulder she spotted Kathryn and eyes filled with anger. "You fucking liar! You aren't doing your friend a favor, you want to go off with her!" 

"No" I insisted even though she was right. "I'm just going to-" 

"Save it Sebastian, I don't care. I'm going to catch a cab and go home. I'll talk to you later. Maybe." Grabbing her purse she charged past me and went straight to Kathryn. "You think he still loves you? Well he doesn't. It's taken months but he's finally over you and we're happy together. Unlike you I don't intend to let anything come between us. So just do everyone a favor and get it out of your system then leave him alone!" 

Megan didn't give Kathryn a chance to respond. She quickly strut past her leaving us alone. Kathryn looked over at me and quipped sarcastically "charming." 

"That was strange." It was seeing as Megan was so determined that I not mess things up with her again. Instead of breaking things off though she gives me a pass and tares into Kathryn for coming between us. It was very strange indeed. However I shrugged it off and decided I'd call her later and figure out what was going on with her then. "Let's go" I told my ex guiding her to the door. 

We left the party and stepped out into the cool New York night. Walking in silence I tried to think of something to say that was witty or snarky or anything that would alleviate the tension between us. "Look Kathryn I-" 

"You can leave now" she said suddenly as we reached the dark parking lot. "You did your duty, I'm fine. Now why don't you just go after your little girlfriend and we can go back to avoiding each other." 

I shook my head "I'm not avoiding you." 

"Sure you are" she replied. "Which is just fine by me. It's much better than pretending everything is normal between us when it's anything but." 

I couldn't argue with that. Kathryn was right I should just get in my jag and go find Megan. It was stupid chasing after something that I could never get back. "Let me just walk you to your car." 

"Fine" she sighed turning back around. Kathryn started towards the parking lot and I followed behind trying to avoid how nice her backside looked in that dress. Suddenly she stopped in her tracks and let out a loud shriek. "HOLY SHIT!"

"What?" I asked coming up beside her. 

Not paying me any attention Kathryn ran over towards a red Porsche that looked practically new. Except for the fact that the windows were smashed in. "Holy shit" I repeated though a lot calmer than her. 

Kathryn just stood there gapping in shock as if someone killed her puppy right in front of her. Slowly she stumbled over to the front seat and picked something up. It was another note. "Do I have your attention now, bitch?" She read aloud. 

"Let me see it" 

Ignoring me she crinkled the note into her hand and threw it to the ground with a loud shriek. "I am so fucking sick of this bullshit!" 

Bending down I scooped up the piece of paper and replied calmly "I know." 

"No Valmont you don't know!" She hollered back. "These past two weeks have been like a fucking nightmare. I'm afraid to go out of my house, I'm afraid when the mail comes, I'm afraid I'm going to run into you. I am not suppose to be afraid of anything! I am nobody's god damn victim! Well I'm not doing it anymore. Just bring it on and let's get it over with" she yelled into the night air. "Jackson or whoever is fucking with me just do your worse because I have nothing left to lose!"

Kathryn stumbled a little bit but I grabbed her before she hit the ground. "Okay" I said soothingly. "Just calm down. We'll just call the police-" 

"NO! I do not need to be rescued and certainly not by you" she huffed pulling away from me. 

She strut over to her car and leaned against the hood. I sighed walked back to her. "I wasn't volunteering to rescue you. Lord knows you don't need it. Trust me Kathryn I'm very much aware you can take care of yourself and of all the many things you are a victim is not one of them. I just wanted to help. I want to be your friend again." 

Kathryn's expression softened as I sat beside her. "Friend?" 

"Yeah we were friends, once upon a time. Before we decide to let sex, love, and rampant jealousy get in the way. Instead of trying to ignore each other maybe we can try to be friends again." 

"What a novel concept" she replied sarcastically. "Well it has to be better than what we have now, right?" 

I nodded "why don't you let me take you home. I'll have the car toed to an auto shop and we'll call the cops tomorrow." 

"What about Megan?" 

I smiled slightly "yeah I think I'll deal with her tomorrow too." 

Kathryn snickered "coward." 

"Victim" 

She smirked back at me. "Where's your car?" 

****** 

A half an hour later I pulled my jag up to the front of Kathryn's townhouse or rather what would be her new townhouse. She had finally moved out of her mothers and into a place of her own but she was currently having it remodeled. "So why are you staying here if it's not even finished yet?" 

"Mothers been driving me insane" she explained as she got out of the car. "Ever since we got back from the country she hasn't let up about..." 

When she trailed off I finished for her. "Me?" 

"Amongst other things." Kathryn climbed the stairs that led up to the front door and then turned back to me. "I'm okay Sebastian, honestly. You can go now." 

I looked at the darkened house suspiciously. "Let me just come in for a minute. Make sure everything is okay." 

She rolled her eyes but I could tell she was trying not to smile. I followed her inside and was greeted by white cloth draperies everywhere and the stench of paint. The place looked far from finished. "Jesus, Tiff really must be driving you nuts if you're staying here. How can you stand all the paint fumes?" 

"It's not that bad" she sighed. Kathryn headed into the living room and turned on a few lights. "The workers say they're almost done." 

I nodded "well just promise me that if it gets too bad you'll go stay at the Four Seasons or something." 

She chuckled "I'm fine. It's perfectly safe now go." 

I could feel myself start to go but I hesitated. "Maybe I should just check upstairs." 

"Sebastian" Kathryn sighed. "You don't need to..." She trailed off and then suddenly a look past over her face like she was having a sudden revelation. "Oh my god." 

"What?" 

"You're getting off on this aren't you?" 

"What?" I sputtered. "Getting off on what?" 

"On playing the rescuer! You are, I can't believe I didn't realize it before! Walking me to my car, taking me home-" 

"You're out of your mind! I was just trying to be a good friend!" It was ridiculous to think I was enjoying myself. I wasn't, if anything this whole thing was just a pain in my ass. Nothing more. Nothing at all. 

Kathryn watched me with a look of pure amusement. Crossing her arms to her chest she smugly suggested "fine then why don't you leave then and go find that girlfriend of yours." 

Turning away from me she walked over to the piano where a pitcher of water was sitting and poured herself a drink. This was my out but for some reason I couldn't make myself turn and leave. I found myself hesitating once again. Shaking my head in defiance I decided I wasn't going to let her chase me out. I took off my jacket and made myself comfortable on her sofa. "I'll leave when I want to." 

"Oh okay" Kathryn replied obviously enjoying this. She walked over and took a seat on the arm chair across from me. "So why don't you tell me about her?" 

"Who?" 

"Who?" She repeated annoyed. "Megan retard, what's she like?" 

So much for being comfortable. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair not sure how to respond. "Well what have you heard?" 

Kathryn shrugged "I hear she's very nice. Smart, driven and all of that." 

I nodded "well she is. She's...um...we have a lot of fun together." 

"I'm sure you do. So what's she like in bed?" 

I sat forward in my chair not sure I heard her right. "Excuse me?" 

"Oh come on we're friends remember? We always use to talk about our sex lives to each other. In your case you liked to brag about it so lets hear it."

My mind went blank and I suddenly felt more uncomfortable than I ever had before. She was of course right, we always had discussed our bedroom antics together but I certainly couldn't do this now. I tried anyway. "Megan is very...we..." I trailed off when my own epiphany began to dawn on me. Quickly I got out of my chair "fuck it, I can't do this." 

Kathryn stood up as well. "What's wrong? I thought you wanted to be friends again?" 

"We are not friends" I exclaimed. "You and I Kathryn...I can love you and I can hate you but I can't just like you. I never have and I never will. We're more to each other than that." 

"I know" she replied quietly. 

I sighed "you knew all along didn't you? That's what this whole display about discussing my sex life was? You knew we could never be friends you just wanted me to realize it." 

"Of course" she repeated calmly. "I feel many things towards you Sebastian but friendship isn't one of them. I don't think it ever was." 

I nodded in understanding. "Even when we were friends I think I always loved you a little." Kathryn held my gaze and then looked away. "I should probably go" 

"Okay" 

I finally turned to leave but as I reached the doorway she called out to me. "Sebastian?" When I turned back to her she said "back at your aunt's house...what I said, I was wrong." 

"About what?" 

Kathryn took a few steps towards me. "I shouldn't have given you that ultimatum. It was stupid of me to think you could or should forgive me. It's just...after we had sex and you said it was a mistake, I guess I was angry and hurt. Anyway I know you can't love me like you use to but-" 

"I do love you" I interrupted her. Kathryn's eyes grew big as I stood before her. "That's never changed Kathryn. I want to be with you again, I want things to be how they were, better in fact, but I want to feel I can trust you again. I need some time..." 

"Okay" she started to turn away. 

Coming up quickly behind her I whipped her back around to face me. "Until then" I crushed my lips to hers. Cupping her face I kissed her hard and deep. 

Kathryn pulled away and looked up at me in surprise "what about Megan?" 

"She was a poor substitute" 

"Well no shit" she huffed "but are you still going to see her?" 

I smirked back at her "I'll brake up with her tomorrow." 

"Good" she pulled me back into a kiss. 

Clutching her tiny waist we stumbled backwards falling against the side of the couch. As my hands went up her dress and rubbed her ass the way I knew she enjoyed, Kathryn began to pull the straps of her dress down but then stopped. "You know the bedroom is just upstairs." 

"Yes but the couch is right here and it's been so long..." 

****** 

As it happened we did make it to the bedroom after all but not of course before christening the couch a few times. We had fallen asleep in her massive canopy bed exhausted but content. It had to be one of the best night sleeps I'd had in quite some time. When I awoke that morning I found Kathryn nestled beside me staring up at the ceiling. "Morning" I greeted her wiping the sleep from my eyes. 

"Is it?" 

I blinked at her "baby it's far to early for you to be bitchy already." 

She looked stone cold serious. Turning on her side she asked "are you going to leave again?" 

"Huh?" 

"Are you?" 

I shook my head at her and kissed her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere." 

Kathryn softened slightly. "Then we didn't make a mistake?" 

"Well I think maybe that position we tried last night might have been a bad way to go, my back is killing me." 

She grabbed me gruffly by the hair and kissed my mouth. "You are a bastard" she sighed collapsing back on her pillows. 

It was strange how much I missed this. Just being comfortable around her again was so easy and if felt like nothing had ever changed between us. Caressing her stomach I asked "so what were you thinking about earlier?" 

"Jackson" she sighed. 

Suddenly I stiffened at the name. "Okay forget I asked."

"No" Kathryn explained "I was thinking about what happened last night. I'm sure he was behind it." 

"Maybe" 

"What do you mean maybe? It's him Valmont" When I didn't agree right away she exclaimed "you cannot possibly still think it's a coincidence? Some random person didn't ruined my car AND leave a note for me?" 

"I'm not saying anything. I just don't think we should jump to conclusions" 

"Or follow the facts apparently." 

Pulling away from me she got out of the bed and slipped a black silk robe on. "You're not pissed are you?" 

Kathryn shook her head. "No I'm just going to get some coffee. While I'm doing that why don't you sit here and come up with a reasonable explanation for what's happening." 

Rolling my eyes I laid back in bed determined to just forget the whole thing. Fuck Jackson, he didn't even matter anymore. I had every intention of drifting back to sleep when I heard Kathryn yell for me. "Sebastian! Sebastian come here!" 

I immediately jolted out of bed and ran into the hallway. I found Kathryn standing at the bottom of the staircase. A moment later I discovered what it was she wanted me to see. All along the staircase and scattered along the first floor where hundreds of black and white photographs. Bending down I picked up one that was of Kathryn walking in the park. The second one was of us having sex. Another one of us having sex with the word WHORE written on it in bright red marker. "Jesus" I remarked. 

"Someone was here last night Valmont" Kathryn remarked as she climbed the stairs a fist of photos in her hand. "Someone was here and they took pictures of us in bed together. He was here, in my house." She pushed a picture into my chest and demanded "do you still think it's all in my head?" 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	17. Easier Said Than Done

Trip On Love 

Summary: Sebastian realizes breaking up with Megan will be harder than he thought and Kathryn's night goes from bad to worse. 

Authors Note: Two more chapters left and this story is done. Finally! 

Chapter 17: Easier Said Than Done 

"What do you mean you haven't broken up with her yet?!" 

I pulled the receiver away from my ear and winced. I knew Kathryn was going to be angry when I dropped my little bombshell which was the main reason I was telling her over the phone. There was less chance of her inflicting bodily injury on me this way. It had been a week since we'd gotten back together but we had yet to inform anyone. I wanted to hold off namely because I needed to break up with Megan first. Normally such a task would be no problem for me but I had run into some unforeseen road blocks. 

Reclining back in my leather chair I put the phone to my ear. "Calm down and let me explain." 

"Fine explain" 

"All right I did try to break up with her. Trust me I did. However every time I tried...well...she started acting strange." 

"What the hell does that mean? Strange how?" 

I sighed not quite sure how to explain it. "I don't know, like she's having these mood swings. Like one minute she'd be calm and the next minute really excited or she'd start crying even before I said a word. Megan's acting really odd." 

"Yeah I think the key word here is _acting_" Kathryn huffed. "Look what's the problem? You don't want to hurt her?" 

"Well, yeah that's part of it" 

"Well get over it, strap on a pair of balls and break that bitches heart already. You never had a problem doing it in the past." 

"You're compassion is overwhelming" I deadpanned. 

I could practically hear Kathryn rolling her eyes on the other end. "You DO still want to break up with her don't you? You haven't changed your mind?" 

"No I haven't changed my mind" I assured her. "That has nothing to do with it. I want to be with you." Taking a deep breath I revealed "look I wasn't going to tell you this but there's more." 

"What is it?" 

"The other day I was using her bathroom and I happened to look in the medicine cabinet. Anyway I found some of her medication and I think...I'm pretty sure Megan's bipolar." 

There was a long pause of silence on the other end followed by a snicker. "You sure can pick them Valmont." 

"This isn't funny" I chastised. "What if I break up with her and she goes over the edge?" 

Kathryn curbed her laughter for a moment. "Sebastian she's bipolar, not psychotic...that we know of. She's not going to go over any edge...most likely. Anyway why do you care? Just get rid of her and then she can be someone else's problem." 

"Easier said than done" I grumbled. 

"Well you're still taking me to the benefit tonight aren't you?" I winced at the question and once again pulled the phone away from my ear sensing the hissy fit that was about to come. Sure enough Kathryn screamed "aren't you?! Damnit Sebastian!" 

"Stop screaming. I can't take you because I told Megan I'd go with her." 

"Then dump her!" 

"Well seeing as the damn thing is at her parents house I think it would be in rather bad taste to dump their daughter and show up with another girl don't you?" 

"Bad taste?" She hissed "since when is that a concern for you?" 

"Look I promise after the party I'll break up with her for good. Just wait a little longer." 

There was another long pause before she grudgingly agreed. "Fine I can hold off a little longer but I swear Valmont if you don't tell her soon I'll tell her myself." 

"Fair enough." Reaching down I opened a drawer of my desk. There was a picture of Kathryn inside. I ran my fingers down it lovingly. "Tell me have you gotten anymore threats from our good friend the mystery stalker?" 

"No, thank god" she sighed. "Everything's been relatively quiet this past week. Maybe Jackson's given up." 

"Maybe" I replied "but I doubt it. Jack was never one to let things go. I just wish the fucking police would do something about it. What does it matter if he's across the country?" 

"He's back in New York" Kathryn said suddenly. My grip on the receiver tightened. "What? How the hell do you know that?" 

"Relax" Kathryn replied calmly. "Mother talked with Mrs. Maguire. Apparently he came back a few days ago. The police questioned him but he claims to have an alibi. Claims he's staying away from me." 

Her explanation did little to curb my anger. I slammed the desk drawer shut. "I should go over there and beat the shit out of him for what he's put us through." 

"Yeah and he wouldn't hesitate a second to press charges against you. That's what he wants, to provoke you." 

"I know" I replied calming down a bit. Still the fact that Jackson was staying a mere couple of blocks from her still made me anxious and angry. "You know I almost wish he would do something stupid and outrageous. If only because it might finally give the police a legitimate reason to arrest him." 

I expected her to tell me that was insane but instead Kathryn replied quietly "so do I." 

Suddenly the door to my study opened and Megan came in with an arm full of shopping bags. "Hey baby wait until you see what I bought for tonight. You'll absolutely die."

Holding my hand over the receiver I smiled at her. "That's great. I'll be off in a minute and then you can model them for me." 

"Okay" she beamed before turning and heading to the bedroom. 

"I heard that" Kathryn said icily. "Are you sleeping with her?" 

"Not anymore" I assured her. "Look I have to go before she freaks out. I'll see you tonight right?" 

"Perhaps" 

"I love you" 

She sighed on the other end. "Well then I suppose I love you too." 

****** 

Suicide was starting to look like a viable option. As I stood beside Megan, who did look quite lovely in her Vera Wang champagne colored dress, we greeted the guests who poured into the Reynolds estate. On the other side of the room stood her mother who in fact looked like an older blonder version of her daughter. Besides Mrs. Reynolds stood her husband who I'm sad to say looked even more bored than myself if that was possible. _What was this damn thing for again?_

"Thank you so much for your contribution Mrs. Baldwin" Megan gushed at the elderly lady. "It's really going to go a long way to help the gray geese." 

As Mrs. Baldwin headed into the party I leaned towards Megan and repeated "geese?" 

"Yes" Megan repeated completely serious. "It's a cause very near and dear to my mothers heart." 

One look at Mrs. Reynolds told me the only thing near and dear to that women's heart was her husbands bank book but, whatever. The party had already just begun and I could barely fathom how the hell I was going to get though the rest of it. Breaking up with Megan now was beginning to seem like a good idea. Then at least I could spend the rest of the night with Kathryn. 

Taking Megan by the hand I pulled her over to a darkened corner of the foyer. Right away she slipped her arms around my neck and nuzzled my nose affectionately. "You're getting bored aren't you?" She purred. 

"As a matter of fact..." 

"Well don't worry, we can sneak off in a little while" 

I shook my head trying to figure out the best way to go about this. "Actually that's not it. I wanted to talk to you about something." 

She withdrew her arms from my neck slowly and her brow wrinkled in confusion at my seriousness. I wondered if perhaps she knew what I was about to say. "What is it Sebastian?" 

"This is hard to say..." My eyes fell to the floor as I kept replaying in my head what Kathryn said earlier. Strap on a pair and do it. Trust me I use to be so much better at this. I would have done anything to be that guy again. "Okay here it is. I'm in love with-" 

"Oh my god, I love you too!" Before I had a chance to correct her Megan threw her arms around my neck and embraced me tightly. "I wanted to tell you too but I just didn't have the courage!" 

What?! I stood there helplessly as she hugged me. I really didn't see this backfiring on me. Now it was going to be even harder to get this out. Taking her by the arms I pulled Megan off of me and tried to start again. "No, what I meant was-" 

"Oh look your parents are here" she interrupted me yet again. "Come on lets go say hello." 

I shook my head in astonishment as she gripped my hand and pulled me across the room. Why the hell was this happening to me? It was just my luck that I happened to end up with the crazy one. Well I wasn't putting up with this much longer. I definitely had to get rid of Megan by tonight. 

As my mother handed over her coat to the maid she greeted both me and my date with a large smile that was for once genuine. Right away I was suspicious. "Hello darling, don't you look handsome in your tux." She pecked my cheek and fluffed my hair affectionately. 

"Hello Mother, you look lovely." I looked past her to my father was openly checking out the young maid. "Hello father" I said coldly. 

"Oh dear don't you look pretty" my mother complimented Megan. "What a gorgeous dress, is that Vera Wang?" 

"Yes" she beamed proudly. 

Taking Megan's arm the two women entered the party together chatting and talking like old friends. I walked behind them eyeing my mother skeptically. As my mother fell into step beside me I leaned in and whispered to him "did Dr. Greenbaum up her prozac or something?" 

"I heard that" my mother muttered to be over her shoulder. "Megan sweetheart why don't you show me that new Picasso your mother acquired. I hear it's fabulous." 

"In a minute mother" I intercepted taking her other arm. "I just need to chat with you a second." 

As Megan lead my father over to the bar I waited until she was out of hear shot before demanding "all right what are you up to?" 

"Beg your pardon?" 

"Why are you suddenly being so nice to Megan? For weeks you've been giving her the cold shoulder and now you want to be best friends?" 

Grabbing a glass of champagne off a passing waiters tray she sighed dramatically. "Sebastian dear you know I only want what's best for you." 

"So long as it doesn't run contrary with what's best for you" I snipped. 

"Oh hush you know that's not true. Now look I know I haven't been as friendly to Megan as I should have so I've decided to remedy that. I know you like her and frankly I much prefer you with a steady girl rather than running around with a different girl each week. So if Megan makes you happy I will be nothing but kind and courteous to her." 

Just as I was about to balk at this sudden about face I looked up and noticed Kathryn step into the room from the opposite entrance. She was wearing a floor length black gown with a low cut front. As usual when I saw her she suddenly seemed to be the only female in the room. I watched her scan the crowd and her eyes eventually rested on me. She gave me a predatory smirk and I cursed my mother for having the worse fucking timing imaginable. "You have lousy timing mother" I muttered completely unaware that I was saying it aloud. 

"What do you mean?" 

I turned my attention back on her and replied "never mind. Look why don't you go find your new best friend and go look at that Picasso. I'll see you later." 

As she took off to go see Megan I crossed the room as discreetly as possible trying to make it appear like I wasn't making a bee line towards my ex. After chatting briefly with one of my father business associates I casually went and stood by Kathryn who was scrutinizing the party with a bored expression. Pretending to be interested in something across the room I told her "you look fucking stunning tonight." 

"I know" she replied curtly staring away from me. "Have you broken up with her yet?" 

"I'm working on it" 

"Work faster" Kathryn waved and smiled to someone across the room, her pleasant expression contrasting with the icy tone of her voice. "Until you ditch Lizzy Borden all bets are off." 

I finally turned and looked to her not caring for a moment if anyone saw. Licking my lips I leered at her, my mind suddenly running over with all sorts of dirty images. "You know the Reynolds have a guest room upstairs, it's sound proof. I want to take you up there, bend you over, and really make you scream." 

Kathryn still didn't look my way but she did allow a smirk to grace her lips. "That sound like it could be promising. In fact I'm getting wet just thinking about." 

"Good then lets go." I went to take her hand but she moved out of reach before I could. 

Her eyes finally met mine as she took a step towards me with a taunting expression on her face. Kathryn pressed her finger to my lips and purred "there's nothing more I'd like than to take you upstairs and fuck your brains out." She slipped her finger a little ways into my mouth and finished "however rules are rules. No pussy until you break up with the crazy." 

With that Kathryn pulled her finger out of my mouth and pranced past me. Before disappearing into the crowd she tossed me one last taunting look over her shoulder that caused me to let out a suppressed groan. Looking away from her I suddenly noticed Megan starting at me from across the room. Judging by the scowl on her face she had obviously witness the entire encounter. When she noticed me staring back at her however her frown suddenly turned into a blinding smile and she walked away. I shook my head miserably and grumbled "fucking fruit loop." 

As the party progressed I spent a better part of it trying to avoid various people. My unbalanced girlfriend, my snooping mother, my sleaze ball father, and my taunting ex who was sort of my lover. Frankly it wasn't that big a party so I ended up hiding out in the library. I sat back on one of the leather sofas, reading a first edition Hemmingway, thinking back to the old days when I use to have more entertaining distractions during these boring events. 

I pulled out a cigarette and was searching for my lighter when I noticed a couple standing in the rose garden outside. The girl I recognized right away was Kathryn and the guy was none other than Megan's brother and Kathryn's ex, Court Reynolds. They dated and broke up prior to the summer when our relationship changed from friends to something more. Normally them chatting wouldn't have bothered me however, even from a distance I could tell Reynolds intentions were less than chummy. Not to mention Kathryn and I weren't exactly committed to each other yet. 

Tossing the book carelessly aside I stormed out of the room and took the side entrance out of the house that led to the garden. As I approached them I could hear Kathryn laughing. Right away I knew it was fake because Court had never uttered anything even slightly witty in his life. She was flirting with him. 

"What did I miss?" I asked coming up behind them. I intended for the line to come out more casual than it did. 

"Hello Valmont" Kathryn greeted me as if it were the first time we'd spoken that day. "Court was just telling me about his last trip to Spain and the less than up to par accommodations at his hotel." 

"Yes" Court agreed openly eyeing her cleavage. "I was just saying to Kathryn I'd love to take her to Spain some day." 

My eyes remained on her as I replied "how nice. Fuck off Court." 

"Excuse me?" he sputtered in surprise 

I looked over at him with a disinterested gaze. "I said get lost. We need to talk in private." 

Kathryn said nothing during this exchange. She simple stood there indifferently as if we were discussing the weather. Court realizing he was going to get nowhere with her huffed "fine I'll leave...and I'll make sure to mention to my sister you're out here chatting it up with your ex fiancee." 

"You do that..." as he passed by me I grabbed the scotch out of his hand and finished "...and I'll be sure to inform your parents you've fallen off the wagon. I'm sure it will break their heart to hear your recovery was all BS." 

Court's face fell and his shoulder slumped in defeat as he muttered "goodnight Kathryn." 

As he went back to the party I tossed her glass of booze casually on the ground and demanded "what the hell was that?" 

"What?" 

"Were you planning on fucking him or were you just going to give him a quick job here in the rose garden." 

Kathryn rolled her eyes and turned away from me. "Oh honestly Valmont, what are you twelve?" 

"Answer the question." 

She took a seat on the stone bench and leaned back suggestively. "You got me Sebastian. We were just about to go at it when you interrupted us." When I simply stared back at her she got angry. "Jesus Christ, NO we were not doing anything other than talking. By the way it's nice to know you're not any closer to trusting me." 

My anger started to evaporate with her last sentence. Slumping down beside her on the bench I sigh "I'm sorry I didn't mean to imply that..." 

"I'm a whore?" 

"That you were untrustworthy. It's just I saw you with him and I lost it a little." 

"Well now you know how it feels for me to see you with Megan" she said quietly looking away. 

I cupped her face and forced her eyes back on me. "She's not you Kathryn, she'll never be you." As if to prove it I drew her mouth to mine and kissed her. As I clutched her tighter the kiss grew more intense and my tongue pressed against her mouth, sneaking inside. Kathryn pushed me away before I could go further. "What?" I asked innocently. 

"No" she explained with a smirk "not until you break up with her." 

"Oh come on" I prodded as I began trailing kissing across her neck. "I'm going to do it later so what does it matter if we screw around now or afterwards?" 

Kathryn was only struggling half heartdly against my advances. "Because I will not be...ahh...I will not be your...ah stop that..." 

My hand moved up her chest and cupped her breast. "You're not wearing a bra" I remarked as my fingers swept across her nipple making it erect. 

"That's not the only thing I'm going without tonight" she murmured. 

I groaned and immediately tried to snake my hand under her dress. "I better check to make sure you're not lying." 

Kathryn quickly pushed my hand away and told me more sternly "no, I mean it Sebastian. You're just going to have to control yourself." 

"Fine" I said pulling away from her "if you can exhibit self control so can I. We can just go back inside and hang out for another..." I looked down at my watch "four or five hours or whenever this party is over with and I have a chance to get Megan alone. I'm sure chatting inside with all those interesting people will be much more entertaining than anything we can do out here together." 

Getting to my feat I acted like I was heading back inside. However just as I knew she would Kathryn took the bait and grabbed me by the jacket, pulling me back down beside her. She lunged at me pressing her hungry mouth to mine. "Thought you would see things my way" I mumbled through kisses. 

We kissed and grouped each other so excessively we slipped off the bench and onto the hard earth below. Kathryn pinned me to the ground and straddled me. She licked her lips excitedly as she yanked open my white dress shirt and raked her nails over my chest. "Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe we've ever done it outside before." 

"First time for everything" she replied breathlessly. I sat up quickly pulling her taunt body to mine as my mouth met hers for a series of long, deep kisses. Pulling down the straps of her black dress her milk white breasts poured out and I wasted no time getting my hands and mouth on them. 

Kathryn pushed me back down and with one hand moved her dress up around her waist and with the other fumbled with my zipper. I helped her with that, stroking myself as she flashed me her sex and then lowered herself down on top of me. We both let out a mutual moan of approval. She rocked against me slowly at first but it quickly gave way to a quicker, harder rhythm. My hands clutched her tiny waist as my hips rose to meet hers. I bit my lip and shut my eyes as I got lost in the exquisite pleasure of being inside her again. Somewhere in the distance I could hear the music and chatter coming from the party but it seemed a million miles away. 

"Oh my god!" 

A voice that was very much NOT Kathryn's called out nearby. My eyes shot open and I titled my head back to see Megan standing not three feet from us with a shocked expression on her face. Suddenly reality started setting in. "Megan..." I started not sure how to begin exactly. "This isn't what it looks like." 

"Sure it is" Kathryn insisted with a cruel, gloating smile. She didn't even bother to cover herself up. 

I shot my ex fiancee a dirty look as I sat up and pulled her off my lap. Turning I looked back at Megan to find she didn't look terribly upset just...surprised. Also I realized she was practically staring threw me and gawking at Kathryn. "Megan?" 

"Megan dear have you seen..." Just to make things more awkward my mother suddenly appeared. She reacted in surprise at the sight of me and Kathryn half dressed, tangled together. "Oh my..." 

"Oh god!" Kathryn exclaimed quickly pulling up her dress. 

"Oh right, now you're suddenly modest" I scoffed at her. 

Megan turned then and ran back into the party. Getting to my feat I fixed my pants and shirt as best and as quickly as I could. "What are you doing?" Kathryn demanded as I left her and headed inside. 

"Damage control" I called to her over my shoulder. As I reentered the party I noticed Megan pushing past the guests to get to the foyer. I quickly caught up with her and grabbed her arm. "Megan wait, I'm sorry. Let me explain." 

As she turned around I was shocked when she wasn't in tears but rather was grinning ear to ear. This only managed to unnerve me all the more. I was getting ready for an all out psychotic attack when she told me "it's okay Sebastian, I understand." 

"I-" 

"You're in love with Kathryn" she finished for me. "I know in fact I've known all along."

I recoiled in surprise "you have?" 

"Yes and I'm happy for you" 

Okay once again I was not expecting that. I was sure this had something to do with her condition and she was in fact having some sort of mental breakdown. There was just no possible reason for her to be acting this cool about everything. "Look Megan it's okay. I mean I know I hurt you and-" 

"No you didn't" she assured me. "Trust me I'm fine." 

I shook my head confused. "Is this some part of the disorder or something?" When Megan's brow crinkled in confusion I explained "I saw the medication in your bathroom...I know about your...problem." 

"My medication?" She regarded me as if I was speaking a foreign language until finally a large smile broke out on her face and she began to laugh. "Sebastian I'm not bipolar, I'm a lesbian!" 

It was safe to say at this point we had the whole rooms attention including Kathryn who was now standing behind me along with our parents. Positive I was missing something I muttered "okay now I'm really confused." 

Ignoring the fact that we now had a full audience she explained "I'm gay. I've known this forever but my parents just wouldn't except it. They sent me to a shrink to 'deprogram' me and that's what the pills were for." I glanced over at the Reynolds who were now cowering in shame in the corner. 

"They kept urging me to go out with someone and when I met you I thought it would be perfect. You were already in love with someone else so I knew you wouldn't get hurt. I had a feeling you were going to try and break up with me this past week which is why I've been acting so crazy lately. I didn't want to disappoint my parents by having you break up with me but now that everything's in the open we can both be free to be with the people we love." 

I shook my head in disbelief "don't tell me, you've been seeing someone else too?" 

"Sort of there's this girl Sara that I like..." 

"Good for you" Kathryn said with sudden cheer. 

I turned around and shot her a look before turning back to my lesbian girlfriend. "So wait a minute, when you found us in the garden you really were staring at Kathryn's-" 

"Could you blame me?" 

Megan looked past me and stared lustfully at Kathryn who cocked an eyebrow in response. I shrugged "I suppose not." 

Leaning forward she pecked my cheek and said "good bye Sebastian. I hope you get everything you want." Turning on her heel Megan left the party with her parents calling after her in desperation. 

As the party guests resumed their chatter I turned back to Kathryn who had a smug look on her face. "My Sebastian you **really** can pick them." 

I caressed her face with the back of my hand and sighed. "Tell me about it." 

Taking my other hand she guided me to the back door. "Why don't we finish what we started." I grinned back at her in agreement as we went out on the terrace. I still couldn't quite believe everything that had gone on with Megan but I was glad we were able to get through it with nobody getting hurt. For once. 

As we stepped outside I pulled Kathryn into a kiss but we were quickly interrupted. "There you two are!" My mother called excitedly. 

"Ooh are you really back together?" Tiffani asked. 

"This will make your mothers year" my father exclaimed. 

Kathryn and I regarded them with annoyance. There was indeed one down side in all of this and that was we were inadvertently pleasing our parents. Something I always hated to do. With a put upon sigh I ordered "calm down. Yes we are back together." 

"Oh I knew it! I knew it would happen eventually" my mother squealed. 

My eyes narrowed at her suspiciously "did you? Tell me mother is the reason you were so polite to Megan tonight because you knew she was gay?" 

She shrugged casually "Regina Reynolds might have mentioned something about a shrink when she was drinking at the club..." Tiffani and my mother snickered with each other like two gossiping school girls at this. 

"Unbelievable" I muttered to Kathryn under my breath. 

"So is the wedding back on?" 

Right away I could feel myself tense at the question. I could also feel Kathryn's eyes on me waiting for a response perhaps as eagerly as our mothers. Still I found myself saying "no we are just taking things slow for now." 

The parentals faces fell for a moment but my mother quickly added "but never say never. I think a June wedding would be lovely and..." 

"I still have the caterer on retainer" Tiffani added. 

As they spoke excitedly to each other I noticed Kathryn was now standing on the other side of the terrace looking away from me. I sighed "look can you guys just go back to the party. We'll talk about this later." 

Getting the hint they quickly made themselves scarce. Once we were alone again I approached Kathryn and stated rather than asked, "are you mad?" 

"No, just disappointed I guess" she replied still not looking at me. 

Gently I turned her around to face me. "I'm not ready yet Kathryn. Maybe down the road I'll..." 

"I know, I know" she exclaimed suddenly angry. Strutting past me she hissed "someday you'll trust me, someday you'll want to marry me, someday you'll love me like you use to..." 

"Hey that's not fair" I grabbed her gruffly by the arm "I do love you! What's wrong with wanting to take things slow?" 

Kathryn yanked her arm out of my grip. "Nothing but I want to know Sebastian, can you see yourself marrying me or even trusting me again?" I shrugged sort of helplessly. She looked back at me with sadness and whispered "I thought so." 

Once again she turned away from me and started to walk away. "Wait a minute, where are you going?" 

"I just want to be alone for a little bit Sebastian" she called over her shoulder as she walked over to the terrace doors. 

I started to follow after her but then stopped myself. I'd give her space to think because I realized then I needed it to. With everything that had been going on with us this past week I hadn't really given any thought to our future. Earlier it just seemed so easy. All I had to do was get rid of Megan and then everything would be perfect. Unfortunately when it came to dealing with Kathryn nothing was ever simple and it was anything but easy. 

****** 

"Pick up the damn phone Kathryn" I grumbled into my cell later that night. However she wasn't obeying my imaginary command and I was met with another ring. Finally I shut the phone off and threw it angrily into the passengers seat of my jag. I pressed my foot on the accelerator propelling the car into traffic. 

A few hours after she'd left me of the terrace I was desperately trying to get in touch with her. I searched the party for her but no one had seen her. I called her cell phone but got no answer. The only thing I could think of was Kathryn went home so I decided to try her there. However I still wasn't sure what I was going to say to her. 

As I considered some possibilities I wasn't paying any attention to what street I was on. Looking ahead I noticed a bunch of fire trucks and police cars blocking the road. Slamming my hands against the steering wheel in frustration I cursed myself for not taking an alternative solution. I was about to do a U turn out of there when I realized I was on **my** street. More to the point the commotion was right outside my building. It was on fire. 

"Shit" I grumbled as I parked the jag a little ways away and got out. I quickly darted over to where a portly cop was standing behind yellow police tape trying to keep curiosity seekers at bay. As I tried to get by the guy immediately stopped me. "Hey where do you think you're going?" 

"I live here" I exclaimed angrily. "What the fuck happened?" 

The cop looked towards the building where smoke was coming from the top apartment. "There was a fire" he replied explaining the obvious. "Don't worry it appears to be contained to the penthouse." 

"I live there!" 

He almost smirked as he retorted "then I guess you should worry." 

Ducking under the yellow tape I stood before him and demanded "how did it start?" 

Looking over the clipboard in his hand he said "it looks like arson." The cop suddenly looked up and with a suspicious edge in his voice he asked "and where were you tonight sir?" 

"I was at a party...all night, with lots of witnesses. Anyway why the hell would I set my own apartment on fire?" 

"Relax son it's just standard procedure. Now do you know the young lady who was outside your apartment?" 

I turned to him suddenly alert "what? Wait, you're telling me someone was in there?!"

"Yes but she's-" 

I nearly leapt at the guy. "Who?" 

"Ever the drama queen Valmont" snickered a distant familiar voice. 

Whipping around I saw Kathryn laying on a stretcher that was being wheeled into an ambulance. Pushing past the cop and the paramedics I ran to her side. She was clutching an oxygen mask and there was a deep cut on her forehead. The sight of her getting put in the ambulance was making me nearly dizzy. "What are you doing here? Are you okay? I've been looking everywhere for you." 

Pulling the mask away from her face she coughed and then offered me a slight smirk. "Easy you're starting to sound like your mother. I went to see you...I didn't want to talk to you at the party. When I got off the elevator I saw that your apartment was on fire. The elevator wouldn't go back down so I called the police and I tried to take the stairwell only the fire blocked the entrance.Then something knocked me out...part of the ceiling or something. Luckily the fireman showed up in time or else my dress would have been completely ruined." 

"You're not funny" I grumbled. "You could have died." 

"Ma'am" another police officer came into the ambulance "did you see anything? Do you know how the fire started?" 

Kathryn nodded "I saw someone run out the emergency stairs. I tried to follow him when I got knocked out." 

"Did you get a look at him?" 

"He was wearing all black and a ski mask, that's about it" 

The cop jolted her information onto a notebook. "Is that it?" 

"I know who it was" I said suddenly causing them both to look at me curiously. Glancing down at Kathryn I told her "we both do." 

****** 

"In other news tonight Jackson Maguire, television and film star was arrested this evening following a fire at an Upper East side apartment building. Maguire was charged with arson and attempted murder. According to local officials a penthouse apartment belonging to a close friend of Maguires was doused in gasoline and set ablaze. Social light and former girlfriend of the accused, Kathryn Merteuil was inside. She sustained injuries but is said to be doing fine. Apparently the police have been investigating Maguire for stalking his former girlfriend and it is believed that the once popular actor will be brought up of charges for that as well. We'll have more on this story later in the broadcast." 

As the news anchor went on to discuss a shooting in Brooklyn Sebastian turned off the television with a satisfied grin. "Well there you have it. Jackson is officially out of our lives for good." 

Nestled in her hospital bed Kathryn scowled at the now blank television. "I'm not so sure. I mean do you really think the police have enough to hold him?" 

"Of course" I replied confidently even though I wasn't really positive. Then again what more could the guy do before they would finally throw his ass in jail. "Don't worry about it. After tonight he'll never come near you again." 

Kathryn looked less than convinced but she offered me a smile anyway "you're right." 

Walking over to the bed I touched her cheek that was now bandaged. The doctor said she had a slight concussion and she suffered from some smoke inhalation but other than that she was fine. He just wanted her to stay overnight for observation. "How are you feeling?" 

She rolled her eyes "I'm fine you can stop asking now." 

"You never should have been there in the first place." When Kathryn looked up at me questioningly I took a seat beside her and explained "I never should have let you walk out tonight. "I love you and I do trust you and..." 

"...and you're just saying this because you feel guilty." 

"What?" 

"You're scared you are going to lose me again." Kathryn sat up and rested her head on my shoulder. "It's not going to happen. We belong to each other remember. Nothing can change that. Everything else doesn't matter." 

I stroked her hair as I consider this. Holding her close to me I agreed "nothing is going to take you from me ever again. Especially Jackson Maguire." 

****** 

"What the fuck do you mean he's out?" I bellowed angrily into my cell phone the following afternoon. "Don't give me any excuses. I'm paying you a god damn fortune to keep that son of a bitch in jail! What the hell happened?!" 

There was a pause of the other end before the polite, mild mannered attorney came back on. "Mr. Valmont I understand your anger at the situation but my hands were tied. The judge set bail and his parents posted it. There was nothing I could do." 

"Don't tell me that shit! I won't have that psycho anywhere near her understand? I want a restraining order and I want a cop, bodyguard or whoever posted outside her door. If he comes within a 100 yards from her I want his ass in jail, got it?" 

"Yes sir but-" 

"But nothing, do it!" 

With that I shut my phone off angrily as I stormed down the hospital corridor. I couldn't believe the police were so inept that they couldn't hold Maguire with all the evidence they had on him. What more did the son of a bitch have to do?! 

I was trying to think of how to break the news to Kathryn that the guy who was stalking her was in fact walking around free when I ran into my father who was heading in the opposite direction. "What are you doing here?" 

"Nice to see you too son. Your mother and I came to drop these off to Kathryn. She's downstairs talking with Tiffani." When I gave him a distracted nod he asked "what's wrong." 

"I just got off the phone with the lawyer. Jackson is out on bail. Fucking inept judge let him go." Taking out my phone again I grumbled "I'm making sure they send someone here to watch her." 

"Don't worry about it son" my father insisted. "I'll take care of it. You go in and see her. I'm sure she rather visit with you than with me." 

I regarded him with surprise. It wasn't often my father acted in what could be described in a fatherly or kind manor. Calming down somewhat I nodded "thanks dad." 

Passing him I headed into Kathryn's room expecting to find her terrorizing the nurses or pacing her room anxious to leave. However I found neither. Kathryn wasn't there. "Kathryn?" I checked the bathroom and the small closet but both were empty. I was officially in panic mode. "Kathryn?!" 

My father having heard my voice came rushing in. "What is it?" 

Walking over to the bed I noticed something shiny resting on the pale blue blanket. On closer inspection I realized it was a diamond ring but not just any diamond ring. It was Kathryn's engagement ring. Staring down at the ring in my shaky hand I muttered "she's gone." 

- to be continued (Please Review) 


	18. Can You Really Trust Her?

Trip On Love 

Summary: A distressed Sebastian searches for a missing Kathryn. Did Jackson take her or did she leave him for good? 

Authors Note: Since I am desperate to get this story finished I'm going to update this again tonight with the final chapter. 

Chapter 18: Can You Really Trust Her? 

"Where is she?!" 

Pacing frantically outside of Kathryn's empty hospital room I bellowed at the top of my lungs for answers. A few patients and hospital employees turned at the sound of my voice to see what all the commotion was about. However I didn't give a fuck. I could care less what they thought of me and that went double for my parents, Tiffani, and the two cops standing before me. For the record they were all convinced I was losing my mind. Had I been more lucid at that moment I'd probably be inclined to agree with them. 

It had been five hours since Kathryn went missing. I was clearly convinced that she had been kidnapped and that it was Jackson who had her. After all she wouldn't just get up and leave the hospital. She wouldn't just leave me. Others however were less than convinced. It was all on account of that damn ring. 

"Well dear she did seem quite upset when you told us your weren't ready to get married yet" my mother gently offered. "Perhaps she just needed to get away for a little while..." 

"Or perhaps you just hurt her so bad she's left you for good now!" That was Tiffani's idea. She was blaming me for the whole thing. 

Even the cops seemed less than convinced it was a kidnapping. "For the love of god" I bellowed at them "you just let her stalker out of jail! Of course he took her!" 

"Sir" the burly, tired looking cop on my left sighed "Mr. Maguire wasn't involved. We've talked with his parents and they've assured us he's been with them all day." 

"They're lying!" I screamed. "He's their son, their covering for him." 

However they didn't seem to be buying my argument and my parents weren't any help either. They were all convinced Kathryn left me, so heartbroken that I wouldn't marry her. I assured them though that we had settled this all the night before and she was fine with it. I was sure of that. There was no way Kathryn would just take off. 

"She didn't even have the ring" I explained for the third time that afternoon. "She gave it back after we broke off the engagement and I was angry so I threw it at Jackson. He had the fucking ring!" 

Tiffani's face pinched in annoyance. "Why would you give away a hundred thousand dollar ring to that low life?" 

I shot her a dirty look and ignored her question. "Don't you see he took her and left that ring as a clue. He wants us to look for them." 

The cops and my parents exchanged looks and nobody said anything at first. Finally my father offered "well perhaps...possibly they went off together." 

"No!" I replied immediately. 

"They do have a history together Sebastian" my mother reminded me. "Maybe Kathryn was just upset and when Jackson showed up she left with him to teach you a lesson." 

"Yes" Tiffani sighed with disdain. "That boy always had some weird pull over her." 

I couldn't believe even Tiffani was buying into this bullshit. "No way, she would never leave with him! Even if she was pissed with me, even if she was angry she would never go with him. NOT with Jackson." Looking away from them I added quietly "not after everything we'd been through." 

Of course this thought had occurred to me earlier. Like some disease it had been hiding in the back of my mind waiting to creep up and attack. Staring at that ring on her pillow, I knew Jackson had been there. I wanted to believe he had taken her but their had been that nagging suspicion all along that I didn't even want to think about. Clearly everyone else however did. 

Perhaps I was more than an optimist than even I knew because I refused to believe it. Kathryn was long over Jackson. She hated him now and would never go back to him no matter how angry she got at me. "Look are you going to keep searching for her or what?" I demanded of the cops in front of me. 

They nodded "yes sir we'll continue to do everything we can but I want you to keep an open mind. Maybe Ms. Merteuil left of her own free will, maybe-" 

"Maybe you should do your fucking job and find her" I snarled coldly at them. "I'm going to search the hospital again." 

I took one last look at the pity filled faces before me and I rolled my eyes. They were all wrong and I was going to prove it. I stormed down the hospital corridor and back down the emergency stairway to the first floor. I stalked the entire first, second, and third floor, questioning nurses and whoever else was around. 

It was as I was heading up to the fourth floor that my cell rang. My hope lifted in that moment as I quickly whipped it out and asked eagerly "Kathryn?" 

"No try again" came a familiar taunting voice. 

I clutched the phone tighter when I realized who it was. "Where is she?" I demanded. 

"We're at Kathryn's place" Jackson replied casually as if they were just hanging out having drinks. "Are you trying to get in touch with her or something?" 

Smashing my fist against the stone wall I snarled "what the hell have you done with her?" 

"Done with her?" He parroted back. "You say that like you think I've hurt her or something. No Valmont Kathryn's just fine. Look why don't you drop by." Jackson's tone shifted suddenly as he added darkly "come alone." 

"Put her on the phone" I demanded. "I want to talk to her."

A snicker of amusement came from his end. "What makes you think she wants to talk to you?" I was then met with a dial tone. 

I listened for a moment processing what he just said to me. It was then I finally let the impossible sink in. Was Kathryn really there and did she really not want to speak to me? Had she run off with Jackson? Was I being played the whole time yet again? 

Sinking against the wall I contemplated these question and the biggest one of all: What would I do to her if she really was lying to me? Either way I was about to find out the truth. 

****** 

It was dark outside by the time I arrived at Kathryn's. Pulling my jag up to the curb I spotted Jackson's Mercedes across the street. Slowly, almost painfully, I got out of my car and approached the house. Foregoing ringing the doorbell I found the door open and went inside. It was completely dark. "Kathryn!" I called out. 

As I stepped into the main foyer Jackson appeared from the second floor balcony. "Look who's finally arrived" he drawled. 

"Where is she?" 

He ignored my question and walked away. I quickly climbed the steps, two at a time until I reached the second floor. Spotting the open door I followed him inside and found Kathryn sitting in a chair. She was now dressed in her typical little black designer dress. She wasn't tied up to the desk chair she was sitting on but she looked visibly tense. I knew right away he had taken her against her will. Even before I spotted the gun. 

Jackson had a small revolver in his left hand. He leaned against the stone mantle place sipping a scotch leisurely as if at a party. "Now as you will see I did not tie her up." 

"No" I sneered unamused "your just holding her at gun point." 

"What, this?" He asked holding up the gun as if noticing it for the first time. "This is just a little insurance. A prop really. Don't worry Valmont I have no intention on using it. I never even aimed it at princess Grace here. She came willingly." 

"Because you threatened me you sick fuck!" Kathryn exploded suddenly. She turned to me and explained "he told me if I didn't leave with him he was going to do something to you." 

Shaking my head I went to grab Kathryn from the other side of the room. "I've had enough fun and games Jackson. We're leaving." 

Before I could reach her Jackson pushed his arm in front of me. It was the same hand holding the gun. "Not just yet Valmont. We haven't yet come to the reason for why I've gathered us here tonight. It's time we get to the truth." 

I let out a short snicker. "The truth? The truth is Maguire you're a demented fuck who will be spending the remainder of your twenties in a eight by ten cell making special friends with Bobo the weight lifter." 

Jackson just smiled at my threat. "Such a drama queen Valmont. Maybe you should have become the actor." Putting his arm down he strolled over to Kathryn and placed his hands on the back of the chair. My anxiety rose when I saw the gun rub up against her bare shoulder. "No, dear friends, the truth I want to discuss tonight is who's really responsible for the supposed stalking of Kathryn." He waited a beat before revealing "it wasn't me." 

"Oh?" I asked playing along. "Do you have an evil twin we don't know about or are you working with someone perhaps?"

His face went dark as he gripped the back of the chair tighter. "I never did anything to that bitch! Why do you think the police let me go?"

"Because they're all a bunch of ignorant buffoons who your mother paid off?" 

"No because I didn't do it" he replied calmly. "In fact it would be utterly impossible for me to do any of those things you two claim. I've been in California for the past few weeks." 

"Yeah, that's funny, your agent couldn't seem to get in contact with you" I taunted. 

Jackson grinned "I was in hidding...with Charlotte. You remember Charlotte don't you Sebastian?" 

I cocked an eyebrow "barely." 

"The truth of the matter is I'm NOT obsessed with this cunt" he snarled as he brushed the gun along the back of Kathryn's head. "I washed my hands of her long ago. Hell the only reason I tried to get her back in the first place was because I wanted to take her away from you...again. I was just planning on fucking her and dumping her once again. However when I realized she was more trouble than she was worth I dropped the plan and went back to California." Jackson shook his head in disgust "for all I knew you two were off living happily ever after together. Then I get back into town and the god damn police are at my door saying I'm stalking her. Like I ever gave a shit about you that much Kathryn, to bother stalking you. It's rather amusing now that I think about it." 

She spun around in her chair and hissed "fuck you!" 

"That's a nice story Jack" I sigh. "However we all know it was you. Who else would be that fucked in the head?" 

"Who?!" He bellowed. Taking a deep breath he said "all right let me ask you a question Valmont. What does the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy, and your faithful, sane girlfriend all have in common?" When I just stared back at him blankly he bellowed "THEY'RE ALL FIGMENTS OF YOUR FUCKING IMAGINATION!" 

"ME?" Kathryn sputtered. "You think I'm behind all this? You really are out of your fucking mind!" 

Jackson looked down at her and shook his head. "I almost forgot how good you are at playing the innocent but I bet Sebastian hasn't. He's well aware of how good a liar you are." 

Turning around Kathryn's green eyes, filled with desperation, met mine. "He's lying, you know that right?" 

Before I could reply Jackson bent down to Kathryn's side and said "he's probably trying to tell himself that right now but I'm sure once the idea begins to fester he'll realize it's the only explanation. After all look how much you've lied to the poor boy in the past. Sebastian knows you'll do anything to get what you want." Standing up he turned his attention to me and asked "before all of this started what did she want more than anything? You or more to the point she wanted that Tiffany ring back on her finger and her darling mothers approval. It didn't look like you were going to forgive and forget so easily so Kathryn did what she does best, she made herself the victim." 

"Yes I made myself the victim" Kathryn replied sarcastically. "I somehow managed to throw a statue threw my window from the outside, I smashed up my new Porsche, I took pictures WHILE I was having sex with Sebastian and oh yeah I knocked myself out while inside a burning building! It makes total sense!" 

Jackson stood in front of her angrily and hissed "yes it does. Whomever is responsible for all of this is either crazy or incredibly determined. Since I am neither and you are both I would say odds are it's you." 

I spoke for the first time "it's not possible." 

He looked over his shoulder at me and replied "of course it is. She paid one of the people on your aunt's staff to throw that statue through the window. She set up a hidden camera on a timer or had someone sneak in and take the pictures while you had sex. She set the building on fire and then lied about seeing a masked man. As for the Porsche, she'd just have mommy by her a new one in the morning." 

Kathryn was now fuming at the accusations. Getting to her feet she screamed "it wasn't me! It was you, you sick freak!" Looking over at me she pleaded "you can't honestly believe him? He's just messing with your head Sebastian!" 

"Are you really going to believe a word she says after all the shit she put you threw?" He demanded. "If so you're even more pathetic than I thought." 

"You're such a fucking coward Jackson" Kathryn snarled. "You did it, just own up to it already!" 

As the two of them bickered I didn't pay any attention to what they were saying. Sure, they both made good points but at the moment the only thing I was concerned about was the gun Jackson was still clenching in his right hand. Using his momentary distraction to my advantage I leapt between the two of them and knocked the gun from his hand. 

"What the fuck?" He muttered to himself as the gun fell out of his hand and hit the ground with a loud thud. Before Jack could reach for it I punched him hard across the face. He reeled back and looked up at me angrily. The next thing I knew he knocked me to the floor. 

Leaping on top of me he hit me but I blocked it and knocked him off. We continued to fight and roll around on the hard, dusty floor, desperately trying to wound each other any way we could. Somehow Jackson gained the upper hand and started to beat me across the face as hard as he could. However he only got a few good hits in before Kathryn came between us. With the gun in her hand she held it to Jack's head. "Touch him again and I won't hesitate to put a bullet in your brain" she told him in an eerily calm and cold tone. 

Slowly he turned his head to look at her. Grasping the end of the gun he told her "do it." Kathryn looked back at him obviously startled. "Come on" Jackson prodded "do it Kathryn, I know you want to. Then you'll truly get everything you want. Me dead and Valmont's unyielding gratitude for saving his life. However it won't change the fact that you're a manipulative insane bitch and for the rest of his life Sebastian will wonder if it really was you all along who was responsible for this." 

That last statement might have been the reason she pulled the trigger. I'd always wonder about it later, not that it really mattered anyway. Yes Kathryn did shoot Jackson however their was a slight hitch... 

"BLANKS?!" She yelled angrily when the gun did little more than imitate a cap gun. I had to admit I let out a sigh of relief for as much as I hated Maguire I wasn't too keen on having his brains splattered all over my chest. 

Jackson on the other hand was obviously quite pleased at his little trick. "Of course their blanks! Like I'd tell you to shoot me if their were actual bullets in there. I told you I'm perfectly sane. I wouldn't hold you hostage with a loaded gun but apparently YOU would have no problem killing me!" 

Kathryn threw the gun to the ground with a wail of frustration. "Enough of this shit. I'm calling the police!" 

Suddenly he wasn't so amused. Getting to his feet Jackson followed after as Kathryn charged out of the room. "You're going to call the police and do what? I haven't done anything wrong." 

She let out a humorous snicker "funny I think they'll disagree when I tell them you kidnapped me." 

"Kathryn, Kathryn wait!" Jackson caught up with her and grabbed her by the arm. "You can't call the police." 

"Like hell I can. Let go of me!" 

I quickly followed them out of the room. Coming up from behind I forcefully grabbed Jackson and pulled him away from her. "Don't EVER touch her." 

"After everything she's pulled you're still so loyal Valmont." Jackson laughed "you really do make the perfect lap dog." 

My reflexes taking over I punched him and he of course tired to hit me back. We began to struggle against the railing of the second floor balcony. Kathryn meanwhile screamed at us to stop it because the balcony wasn't safe. Neither of us paid any attention however until it was too late. 

As I pushed Jackson back against the railing and the two of us put our weight on it and it soon gave way. I heard a snap then suddenly Jackson fell backwards and I almost followed. Kathryn reached out and pulled me back before I too could fall. With a loud scream Jack fell to the first floor and landed with a loud thud. Kathryn and I slowly crept to the edge and looked down. We both went wide eyed at the sight of Maguire laying very still on the hard marble floor. 

Quickly I headed to the stairs and called out to her "stay there." When I got to the first floor I approached him almost hesitantly, afraid of what I might find. Indeed as I kneeled beside him Jackson looked very still. Slowly a raised a shaking hand to his neck to feel for a pulse. As my hand touched his skin his eyes suddenly shot open and I let out an audible gasp of surprise while stumbling backwards. 

Jackson coughed and then grumbled "I'm sorry to disappoint you but I'm still alive Valmont." 

Truth be told I was almost glad. The last thing I needed that night was to deal with manslaughter charges. Looking down at him I muttered coldly "lay still, we'll call an ambulance." 

"Don't do me an favors" he replied sarcastically. 

Rolling my eyes at him I pulled out my cell phone and started to dial 911 when his hand came out and stopped me. "We were friends once weren't we?" I didn't answer. I just stared back blankly. "Well in the spirit of friendship here's the truth: it wasn't me. I never did anything to her." 

Not flinching in the slightest as his declaration I replied coldly "we were never friends." 

Jackson shook his head and almost smiled as if in agreement. Turning his head slightly he stared over my shoulder at Kathryn who was watching us from the stairs. "Tell me something Valmont, do you really think you can trust her?" 

****** 

A half an hour later Kathryn's house was swarming with cops and paramedics. Jackson had come through the fall still alive but barely. I heard one paramedic say something about spiral cord injury but frankly I didn't really care. All I wanted was to make sure that the police did intend on arresting him. 

I suppose I could have been blamed for the fall but I described in detail to the police what led up to the fight. It was a clear case of self defense. Kathryn also backed up my story telling the cops that indeed Jackson had kidnapped her from the hospital. "Do you think you'll be able to keep him in jail this time" I sneered at the same police officer who had been at the hospital earlier. 

"We'll do all we can" he replied stiffly. "As it stands their not even sure if Mr. Maguire will be able to walk again." 

"Boo hoo" I deadpanned. 

The cop frowned at me in disapproval and then turned to leave. As he left me I noticed Kathryn sitting alone in her living room staring off deep in thought. Since Jackson had gone over the balcony we hadn't said much to each other not that we had really had a moment to ourselves. Solemnly I walked over to her and sat down beside her. Kathryn looked over at me surprised. "What did they do with him?" 

"He's on his way to the hospital. They think he might be paralyzed." 

Kathryn gazed stonily ahead and replied coldly "good." 

I studied her a moment, not terribly surprised by her cruelty. "You know he insists he wasn't behind it." 

She looked at me amazed then spat "well it wasn't me! I swear to you Sebastian I never would do something like that to you. I know if I did you really would never trust me again." Shaking her head sadly she looked away from me and muttered "but you believe him don't you? You really think I'm capable of going that far...well then maybe we should end things now. What's the point of being together if we're always-" 

"Marry me" 

Kathryn's head whipped around and she stared back at me stunned as if I'd just asked her to jump from a plane without a parachute. "What?" 

I couldn't help but crack a grin at her confusion. "I said marry me." 

"But I...why?" 

Moving closer to her on the couch I explained myself. "I know you had nothing to do with what's been going on these past weeks. It might indeed have been Jackson or someone else but it doesn't matter anymore. Jackson asked me earlier if I could trust you or not and the answer is, yes I can. I mean I have to. As horribly corny and cliché as it is Kathryn, you're my whole life. You're the reason for everything. I want my life to be with you." 

"Then you don't believe Jackson?" She asked hopefully. 

"If you say you've been telling me the truth then I believe you." Reaching into the pocket of my black shirt I pulled out the engagement ring I had found earlier that day. Taking her hand I slipped it onto her finger. "So what do you say? Shall we try it again?" 

Kathryn stared down at the large diamond on her finger with a serious expression on her face. "You do realize" she said solemnly "if we do this we're going to be making our parents extremely happy." 

"I know" I sighed glumly. "However I think there might be a way to avoid that. We elope."

Looking back up at me Kathryn finally smiled. "Well then I think you have yourself a deal Mr. Valmont." She reached for me then and drew my mouth to hers for a kiss. As I embraced her I finally felt like a load was being lifted. I hadn't felt this good in months. Everything finally felt right. 

However happily ever after didn't come just yet. There was still one last secret to be revealed. 

Last Chapter Coming Soon 


	19. All's Fair In Love and War

Trip On Love 

Summary: One final secret is revealed 

Chapter 19: All's Fair In Love and War 

Six months later I was back where our story began, standing outside the Maguire family townhouse. However this time I wouldn't be attending a party. Quite the opposite actually. 

Removing my sunglasses, I tucked them into the front pocket of my suit as I approached the front door. After ringing the door bell I was greeted by one of their downstairs maids. She informed me that the senior Maguire's were out of town for the weekend but their son Jackson was upstairs in his room. I smiled almost perkily "I'd love to see him." 

She let me in and I headed up the stairs to his room. On my way I thought about what Jackson's life had become over the past few months. Like the paramedics had predicted that night he indeed was paralyzed. My mother had informed me that the doctors were almost certain that he would never walk again. The news only got worse for Jack. He was of course arrested for kidnapping Kathryn put without sufficient evidence that he had done anything else against her he only served less than a week in prison. 

We had been angry about this but not for long. After all he was indeed stuck in a wheelchair for what would likely be the rest of his life. This coupled with his arrest record completely crippled his career, pun intended. The tabloids completely trashed him over what he did to Kathryn and now he was lucky if he could get a job in a Wendy's commercial. Jackson's life was now relegated to hanging out at his parents house. As you can imagine I found this terribly amusing. 

Standing outside his bedroom I knocked on the heavy oak door. "What?" He called out grumpily. 

I smirked to myself and then opened the door. Jackson was laying in bed watching his big screen TV. An old movie of his was on. When he saw it was me I noticed how his body stiffened and his jaw tightened in anger. Sitting up at best he could he snarled at me "what do you want Valmont?" 

Closing the door behind me I remarked "it's nice to see you too buddy. It's been a long time." 

"Not long enough as far as I'm concerned. Last time I saw you it was when that bitch testified against me in court." 

"Watch how you refer to my wife." 

"Wife?" Jackson chuckled darkly "well it looks like princess Kathryn got everything she wanted after all. So tell me how did she finally do it? Did she with hold off sex until you put that ring on her finger or perhaps she staged another stalker incident." 

Taking a seat on the edge of his bed I explained "none of the above. Actually I asked her to marry me the night you took your infamous fall. Do you remember you asked me if I could ever trust her? Well I realized I could thanks to you." 

He rolled his eyes. "What, did she finally own up to being behind everything?" 

"No, actually I realized I could trust her the moment she held that gun to your head and fired. I knew in that moment that she truly never loved you in the same way she loved me. I realized then that you really were in the past." 

"Well that's just beautiful Valmont. However I don't really give a shit so what do you want? Why the fuck did you come here?" 

"Closure" I replied. Getting to my feet I strolled over to his desk and began to study the paperwork on top of it disinterestedly. "I want closure about what really happened to Kathryn six months ago. Who really was behind it all?" 

Jackson sprang upwards in the bed angrily. "How many times do I have to tell you? I had nothing to do with stalking her! You want answers Sebastian, why don't you try asking your wife!" 

"What makes you think she'd have them?" 

"Jesus, love really is blind isn't it?" He shook his head and glared at me as if I was some sort of pathetic creature. "Kathryn made the whole thing up! She was never stalked, she just played the victim to get you to come back to her. It was her." 

"No you fucking imbecile Kathryn never did anything" I sneered. "SHE was a victim in all of this." 

"Oh yeah, then tell me Valmont who was it? Who besides her had anything to gain from all of this?" 

I slowly approached the bed. It amazed me that he still hadn't put the pieces together yet. "Jackson buddy, come on figure it out." When he stared back at me blankly I revealed "it was me." 

He flinched just as I knew he would. Jackson's eyes darted around the room and I watched with great amusement as he tried to put the pieces together in his head. "You? I don't understand, how could it be YOU?" 

Turning away from him I circled the bed. I wanted to take my time revealing my deception you see. After all I had been waiting for this moment for a long time. "Well you see it's very simple. I needed a way to get you out of Kathryn's life for good and a way I could test her trust." 

"So naturally you jumped to the next step and arranged to make it look like I was stalking her" he retorted sarcastically. 

I smiled smugly at him "actually it was you who gave me the idea. That night on the balcony when you told me she belonged to you. I came up with this idea to have one of the servants throw that statue you bid on threw Kathryn's window. He waited until I left the room and then did it, making me look of course completely innocent. I set it up to look like it could be nobody else but you. Make you look like an unbalanced freak. However Kathryn wasn't quite convinced. So I stepped up the plan a little bit." 

Jackson scowled at me. "You were the one who was sending her the notes and you smashed in her car." 

"Actually" I laughed "that was Tuttle. He told me before hand that Kathryn would be attending his party. I paid him a hefty sum to go do a little damage to her car and make it look like it was you. Then later I arranged for him to take pictures of us. At this point Kathryn was already completely convinced you were a psycho but I was determined to get you out of our lives for good." 

"You son of a bitch, I was out of your lives! You just wanted to see me in jail." 

I grinned and nodded "yes that too. I suppose that really was a large part of this. You used Kathryn to try and destroy me and I wanted to return the favor." 

"And you were perfectly willing to put Kathryn's life in danger to do it. You really are a sick fuck Valmont." 

I looked away from him and stared out the window. Thinking back to that night all those months ago when I came home to find my apartment on fire I remembered how terrified I was to discover Kathryn had been inside. "She was never suppose to be there" I said more to myself than to him. "When the police wouldn't arrest you I wanted to create one last dramatic gesture, something that they would definitely put you in jail for. Before the party that night I arranged for someone, one of my parents servants, to set my apartment on fire. Kathryn wasn't suppose to be there. She was never suppose to get hurt." 

"But she was" Jackson replied with a gloating smile. "You nearly killed the women you loved all so you could get revenge on me. Now that's pathetic." 

"No" I hissed "what's pathetic is you could have walked away from this in one piece. Kathryn and I were happy together and the police let you go. YOU could have just left us alone and just imagine how different things would be today if you'd had. But no you went and kidnapped Kathryn." Looking at him laying their helpless and weak I shook my head at what his life had become. "In the end I didn't have to do anything to you. You put yourself in jail and that wheelchair. You have nobody to blame for that except yourself Jackson. Ironically enough I am innocent in your downfall." 

"You know it's funny I don't think Kathryn will see it that way." Leaning towards me he smiled cruelly and asked "she doesn't know any of this does she?" My gloating grin slowly changed into a scowl causing Jackson to laugh "I didn't think so. Imagine what she would do to you if she discovered how you deceived her and threatened her life. Something tells me she'd be making a bee line to her divorce attorney before you even batted an eye. Perhaps I should give my old girl a call." 

Crossing my arms to my chest I replied evenly "if you so much as open your mouth to Kathryn or anyone else about this, I think I'll be forced to have a chat with the district attorney." 

Jackson tossed his cell phone down on the bed. "About what?" 

"About you breaking that restraining order to stay away from Kathryn. I have a feeling he wouldn't hesitate a moment to throw a once high profile celebrity back in jail." Narrowing in for the kill I added "and you would hate to go back there wouldn't you Jack? Jail really isn't the ideal place for a cripple." 

I watched as his eyes glazed over and he seemed to be thinking about something from his past. Likely something not too pleasant about his time in jail. Shaking his head miserably he grumbled "you really are a son of a bitch you know that Sebastian. I always knew you were a prick but I never thought you were this twisted." 

Straightening my tie I replied "I warned you long ago Jack that underestimating me was a dangerous business. Too bad you had to learn the hard way." 

Turning I headed for the door when he called out to me "you two deserve each other you know that? You're both miserable, sick, excuses for human beings. One day you're going to destroy each other and I hope to god I'm there to see it. Until then you can both go to hell." 

I chuckled slightly at his comment. "Oh Jackson, they don't send people like Kathryn and me to hell. We'd end up running the place." 

With one final look back at my long standing and now defeated enemy I turned the door handle and left him in his own self inflicted purgatory. I was about to return the way I came when I turned around and found Kathryn standing behind me. She was leaning against the wall near the door. Her face was unreadable but something in her eyes told me she had heard every word. 

I looked back at the closed door then back at her. Suddenly all my superiority vanished and I felt like a dear in the head lights. My usual quick mind struggled to find an excuse but I came up empty. Finally I asked her "how much of that did you hear?" 

She arched one of her perfect shaped eyebrows and replied evenly, "enough." 

"Look Kathryn, I know you are upset but just let me-" 

"Shh" reaching out she silenced me by pressing her finger to my lips. As she stood before me and our eyes locked I saw that in fact she didn't appear angry or upset. There was just this unbelievable sense of calm and almost...understanding in her eyes. I was amazed. I was in love. Slowly Kathryn pulled her finger away from my mouth and she reached for my hand. "Let's go home." Without another word we held on to each other and walked out of that house never to return again. 

And that as they say is our story. I warned you early on that it wouldn't be pretty. In the end Kathryn and I came out the winners but did we truly deserve to? I'd like to think so. Others might not agree but fuck 'em. I've never been big on public opinion anyway. 

Now the question is did we really live happily ever after in the end? Did Kathryn really forgive me or did Jackson's prophecy about us destroying each other come true after all? Well I'll leave that to your imagination. I will tell you one thing though. Through all of this there was one important lesson to be learned. What my journey with Kathryn taught me was this: all's fair in love and war. 

Or something to that extent. 

*** The End *** 


End file.
